Community
Ground breaking event marks start of key Haverfordwest Public Transport project

KIER and Pembrokeshire County Council held a traditional ground breaking event at Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI) last month – celebrating the official start of work on site.
Council members including the Leader Councillor Jon Harvey, Deputy Leader Councillor Paul Miller, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Councillor Rhys Sinnett and for Haverfordwest Castle ward Councillor Thomas Tudor, joined Kier for the event with the ceremonial breaking of the ground marking a key milestone in the project’s progress.
The scheme includes the construction of a modern bus station and multi-storey car park to Haverfordwest’s town centre, providing a new interchange for buses and coaches, with upgraded passenger facilities.
Designed by architects BDP and built by Kier, the completed scheme will include more than 300 parking spaces, seven bus bays, public toilets and accessible changing facilities for people with disabilities.
The project also has a number of sustainable features including electric vehicle charging facilities and an array of solar panels on the roof which will supply the vast majority of the building’s energy usage and help Pembrokeshire County Council meet their commitment to be net zero carbon by 2030.
Ian Rees, regional director at Kier Construction Western & Wales, said: “We have been on site for a number of months now undertaking essential enabling works, this ground breaking ceremony is an important milestone as we progress into the construction phase of this vitally important transport hub.
“This transport interchange for Pembrokeshire County Council will really begin to take shape over the coming weeks and months and will ultimately deliver a much-needed, modern transport hub for the local community, improving connectivity and accessibility for residents and visitors alike.”
Cllr Paul Miller, Deputy Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, said: “It’s great to see work starting on this new transport interchange, which is an important part of the wider Haverfordwest Masterplan. It’s designed to make it easy and convenient to visit Haverfordwest town centre which is a key part of our efforts to regenerate the town.
“I think we can all agree the previous multi-story car park had reached the end of its useful life.
“Once we’ve completed this project, the town centre will be easily accessible both by bus and of course by car with the car park element of the project benefiting from wider spaces, EV Charging, single tap exit and payment and of course a much nicer, lighter and safer environment for users.”
Architects, landscape architects and civil and structural engineers from multidisciplinary design practice BDP designed the transport interchange.
Matthew Mayes, architect director at BDP, said: “This significant regeneration scheme will be transformational for local people, offering improved access to bus, taxi and cycling facilities with excellent connectivity to the riverside, shopping centre and railway centre.
“Our designs include striking aluminium fins that wrap around the building with stone cladding at ground level to reflect the town’s historic features and a new public square with plenty of greenery and seating for people to relax.”
Built on the site of a demolished multi-storey car park and bus station, HPTI will form part of the South West Wales Metro project, which aims to better integrate sustainable modes of transport and complements the wider regeneration work in Haverfordwest.
The design of HPTI is being funded from the Welsh Government’s Local Transport Fund.
Kier has significant experience in south-west Wales spanning over 60 years and has included the delivery of schools, hospitals and even the home of Welsh television, S4C, in Carmarthen.
This project was procured by Kier through the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework (SWWRCF).
Community
Milford Haven and Neyland Police issue appeal for missing man

POLICE are appealing for information to help locate a 54-year-old man who has been reported missing from the Milford Haven area.
Neil is described as being around 6ft 2in tall with a shaved head. He has tattoos on his arms and one of his fingers, and sometimes wears glasses.
He was last seen on Friday afternoon (Apr 26) wearing a black Superdry hoodie, ripped jeans, and orange and black Nike Air trainers. Neil is believed to be on foot.
Anyone with information that could help is urged to contact Dyfed-Powys Police: | Online portal
| 101@dyfed-powys.police.uk
| Call 101, quoting reference 262 of April 26.
Community
Fire service delivers vital kit to Ukraine

Wales joins UK’s largest firefighting aid convoy
MID and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) has taken part in the UK’s largest ever convoy delivering vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, joining 17 other Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) from across the country.
The convoy, coordinated by FIRE AID and supported by the UK Government, left the UK in early April. It travelled through France, Germany and Poland, delivering over 30 fire service vehicles and more than 15,000 items of equipment to support Ukrainian firefighters on the front line of the ongoing war.
Since the Russian invasion in 2022, UK fire services have donated 119 vehicles and over 200,000 pieces of equipment to Ukraine. Each participating service ensured local needs were met before donating surplus kit.
Watch Manager Rob Kershaw represented MAWWFRS on the convoy. He said:
“It’s been a privilege to be part of this convoy and to represent both FIRE AID and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.
We received invaluable support and assistance from fire and police services across every country we passed through. Their help in coordinating, escorting, and hosting the convoy was outstanding.”
Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas KFSM added:
“MAWWFRS is proud to support our colleagues in Ukraine by donating and delivering essential equipment.
The events in Ukraine have deeply affected the fire and rescue community, and this convoy is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to helping those still working under extreme conditions.”
The donated equipment will support firefighters in Ukraine who continue to operate in war zones to save lives and protect property—often at great personal risk. Since the conflict began, 100 Ukrainian firefighters have been killed and 431 injured. A total of 411 fire stations and 1,700 firefighting vehicles have been destroyed.
Community
Trefin to host VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations

TREFIN and surrounding communities will mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a full day of commemorative events on Thursday, May 8—culminating in the lighting of a coastal beacon.
The local programme closely mirrors events happening across the UK to honour Victory in Europe Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe on May 8, 1945.
The day will begin at 9:00am in the centre of Trefin with the reading of the VE Day 80 Proclamation, Together We Stand, followed by the raising of a special VE Day 80 flag to unite the nation in remembrance of those who sacrificed so much during the war.
At 12 noon, in Trefin Square, piper LCpl Spencer of Cawdor Barracks will perform Celebratum, a tune specially composed for the occasion.

At 6:30pm, Llanrhian Church bell will ring out in unison with churches and cathedrals across the UK. Simultaneously in Trefin Square, the “Lamp Light of Peace” will be blessed, and a handbell performance by local adults and children will take place. Participants are encouraged to wear wartime-style clothing, with prizes awarded for the best costumes.
Evening celebrations will then move to The Ship Inn, where a fish and chip supper will be served (advance booking and payment required). A display of wartime memorabilia will also be available to view.
At around 8:00pm, the community will proceed from The Ship Inn to Penlac field, overlooking the coast, for the continuation of the festivities. Attendees will be invited to sample the official Women’s Institute VE Day 80 Orange and Ginger Cake. Warm clothing is recommended.
There will be music from the wartime era, and local choir Côr y Felin will lead a singalong of well-known songs from the period. Representatives from each decade since the end of the war will read the VE Day 80 Global Tribute, joining communities across the world. A minute’s silence will be held in memory of those who did not return home, followed by a bugler performing the Last Post and Reveille. The piper will then play Flowers of the Forest.
Just before the lighting of the beacon at 9:30pm, the community will join nearly 1,000 choirs across the UK in singing I Vow to Thee, My Country. The coastal beacon is part of the official chain being lit across the country and worldwide (in respective time zones). The “Lamplight of Peace” will also be lit in solidarity with lanterns around the globe.
Those wishing to continue the celebrations can return to The Ship Inn afterwards.
Organisers are encouraging all attendees to dress in wartime-themed attire throughout the day, with a prize for the best-dressed individual.
The events are being coordinated by the Gwelliant Trefin Improvement Group (GTI) and Llanrhian Connected Community. All are welcome.
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