TATA STEEL has confirmed that work is underway to assess the damage caused by Wednesday night’s fire at its Port Talbot steelworks.

The company said the incident happened at the Pickle Line on Wednesday evening, prompting the temporary shutdown of the Hot Strip Mill.

In an operational update issued at 2:30pm on Friday (Jun 5), Tata Steel said teams were now working towards a planned restart of the Hot Strip Mill in the middle of next week.

The fire led to a major emergency response at the Port Talbot site, with emergency services called to the steelworks at around 8:00pm on Wednesday.

Earlier statements from the company confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and evacuated safely.

Tata Steel has also said the fire was not connected to the planned demolition of a redundant gas holder carried out at the site earlier the same evening.

The company said supply chain teams were now putting mitigation plans in place, including alternative processing at the Llanwern Cold Mill and Pickle Line.

Those measures are aimed at maintaining continuity of supply and supporting customers while the affected area is assessed.

In its latest update, Tata Steel said: “Following the incident at the Pickle Line on Wednesday evening, work is now underway to carry out a full assessment of the area affected.

“During the incident, the Hot Strip Mill was temporarily taken offline. Teams are working towards a planned restart in the middle of next week.

“Our Supply Chain teams are actively implementing mitigation plans, including alternative processing at the Llanwern Cold Mill and Pickle Line.

“These actions are focused on maintaining continuity of supply and supporting our customers during this period.

“Our priority remains the safety of our people and the safe, stable operation of our assets. We will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.

“We would like to thank our employees and the emergency services for their swift and professional response.”

Sharon Graham, from the union Unite, said the blaze has caused “substantial damage to a vital production line”.

“Measures must now be put in place to protect jobs both at Tata and down the supply chain during any period of disruption,” she explained. 

“Meanwhile we are asking Tata and the government to ensure that operations are rebuilt as swiftly as possible.”

She thanked the emergency services for bringing the fire under control so quickly and confirmed that no-one was injured.

The cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

A CALL to sell alcohol from a coffee shop at a Pembrokeshire railway station, which recently a mass violence incident which led to 11 arrests and several people being taken to hospital, has been given the go-ahead.

At the June 4 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing sub-committee, members were asked to consider the granting of a new premises licence for Lisheens Coffee Pod, Tenby Station, which included the sale of alcohol off-site from 11am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Emergency services were called to the station at around 9.50pm on Tuesday, April 7, following reports of disorder involving a group of people.

During the incident, one individual was reported to be carrying a knife. Four teenagers, aged 13 to 17 were injured and taken to hospital.

A total of 11 arrests for offences including grievous bodily harm and violent disorder were made. All of those arrested were aged between 13 and 19 years old and all local to the Tenby and Pembroke Dock area, police have previously said.

While the incident was unconnected to the licensing application, it was raised in objections to the scheme.

A report for members of the committee said two objections to the application by Mrs Nicola Nolan were received, from The British Transport Police, as a responsible authority, and another from a lease of the railway building, which said: “It encourages group gatherings, encouraging vandalism, and violence such at stabbings by group gatherings as of April 7.”

Jessica Jones, Designing Out Crime Officer for British Transport Police, who later spoke at the meeting had raised concerns “based on crime data, operational policing considerations, lone-working risks, public safety concerns, and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) risks”.

Her report said, over the past two years, there had been 12 incidents of violence, three serious public order offences, and one motor vehicle crime incident, the majority between 9pm and 11pm, a timeframe overlapping the proposed hours of alcohol sales, raising concern that alcohol availability “may further exacerbate existing issues of violence and disorder”.

That report added there were many outlets in Tenby town centre selling alcohol, questioning the need for a further facility at the station, and there was “significant concern regarding the risk to a lone worker having to refuse alcohol sales to intoxicated individuals or manage customers who refuse to leave”.

It went on to say that, while British Transport Police already deploy dedicated policing operations throughout the six-week summer holiday period to manage increased passenger numbers and deter crime, “introducing another alcohol sales point during these peak periods may heighten existing risks”.

Jessica Jones later told committee members introducing the scheme in Tenby would mean it was the only such offer at an unmanned station in Wales.

Speaking at the meeting, Barry Nolan, husband of the applicant, said it was hoped to supplement the ‘coffee pod’ with “genteel” and “trendy alcoholic products” such as wine, “really cool craft beer,” and Barti Ddu rum in cans for consumption elsewhere rather than “pints of lager and triple vodkas”.

He said the facility wouldn’t lead to youths congregating due to the products being at the more premium price end; also offering security if needed.

He later offered a reduction in alcohol serving hours to 8.30pm, with committee chair Cllr Tim Evans mooting an 8pm finish.

After retiring to deliberate, members agreed to the granting of the licensing, subject to an 8pm cut-off, wishing the applicants well in their business.

PLANS for new horse breeding sheds in north Pembrokeshire for “the longest continuously run Welsh pony stud in the world,” which is seeking to relocate to the county, have been given the go-ahead.

In an application recommended for approval at the June meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, Mr Davies, through agent Harries Planning Design Management, sought permission for the construction of an agricultural buildings for horse breeding stables at Let Wen, Felindre Farchog.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said a typical stable building to house breeding horses was sought, along with a building for feed, dung and implements to keep and maintain the horses within the site and two additional buildings proposed for general storage of items to run the agricultural business.

Detailing the background to the application, it said: “The horses on this site are breeding horses and the business trades under the name The Ceulan Stud and is the longest continuously run Welsh Pony Stud in the world.

“The business originally operated near to Aberystwyth, before relocating to Rhondda Cynon Taf for over 62 years. The business has now bought land in north Pembrokeshire and seeks to relocate here. The business operates with 10 breeding mares and two stallions and produces 10 foals per year all for direct sale.

“The proposed site allows for safe breeding of the stock, with the surrounding land being used for turning out the stock, which are only brought in to breed. The applicant does not ride the horses, and they are raised as livestock for sale.”

The application was brought for committee consideration as it was recommended for approval despite objections from local community council Nevern on the grounds including it being “a very large complex on a greenfield site,” with a loss of valuable agricultural land, and concerns about accessibility to and from the highway.

An officer report recommending approval said: “The proposal includes the erection of a stable block containing three stables together with ancillary feed storage, tack room, hay and implement storage buildings, turnout paddock, dung storage area, access improvements, permeable hardstanding, landscaping and biodiversity enhancement measures.

“The development has been amended following pre-application discussions to reduce the scale of development and minimise the amount of Grade 3a Best and Most Versatile agricultural land affected.”

It concluded: “In visual terms, whilst the proposal would introduce built development into part of an open field, the buildings are modest in scale and agricultural in appearance.

“The proposal also incorporates substantial mitigation measures including earth bunding, ecological buffers and significant native hedgerow planting intended to soften and assimilate the development into the wider countryside landscape over time.

“As such, the proposal is not considered unduly visually intrusive within the context of the surrounding agricultural landscape.”

The application was conditionally approved by committee members.