News

Port Authority’s plans ‘flawed’

Published

11 years ago

January 22, 2015

Tom Sinclair

Redevelopment plans: Milford Docks • Picture Ade Owens – Flickr

THE DECISION by the County Council to defer a decision on Milford Haven Port Authority’s ambitious plans has given rise to hope that the Authority will now engage properly with local stakeholders and existing tenants before pressing ahead with its planned redevelopment of the marina and docks area. At the meeting in the Milford Town Hall at the end of September, the Port Authority assured the assembled town councillors and members of the public that, upon demolition of the Old Docks Office there would be an exact replica built. The Authority’s Estates Director, Jeff Teague had stated the same in several public meetings: using the phrase “stone by stone and brick by brick”. Over time, that undertaking changed to “preserving the original part of the building”.

At that meeting, Jeff Teague was tackled about the effect of building a cinema on the site and its effect on the Torch Theatre’s widely-praised cinema facility. It emerged that, contrary to previous statements made on the subject, not only had no agreement been reached with the Torch Theatre, but that the idea floated at the meeting by Mr Teague (that the Torch would somehow run the proposed cinema on the marina) had not even been put to the Theatre. Plans placed before the Council, however, show a markedly different approach to the redevelopment of the Old Docks Office. Instead of a sympathetic rebuild, the proposed new building truncates the original in such a way as to leave, in the words of one local, “a potting shed” in its place.

Billa Schleicher of All Pets Vet Care told us: “Rob Peters from Turley, was at the Planning meeting on December 16 as a representative of MHPA. “After his speech, asking for approval of the application for demolition of the Old Docks Office, he was asked by Councillor Jacob Williams why he had specified a partial and not total rebuild. “Mr Peters replied that the existing building has been extended a number of times and the core part of the building, the oldest part of the building, is only the middle five bays.

“But that is not correct: the original part is ten bays long and, more to the point, it is going to be only some doors and windows that will be retained: hardly “brick by brick” as touted to the Town Council.” Billa continued: “I confronted them about this after the meeting – Jeff Teague then told me that they only did what CADW had asked them to do – it was nothing to do with them! My own enquiries suggest that is being very economical with the truth.”

Touching upon a separate concern regarding traffic, Billa said: “The artist impression that graces the front of the application suggests that the development will be a calm, wonderful public space with people strolling along and sitting there enjoying the peace and quiet. A marked area where they can easily cross the road over to the building on the left of the picture, which presumably is the museum.

“What a shame they did not get the dimensions right. What looks like a single lane on the picture would be a double lane, with cars rushing past and delivery lorries passing by to service the supermarket and the other chain retail outlets scheduled for construction; scarcely conducive to trundling along at 10 miles an hour, while people cross the road in a leisurely fashion to visit the museum. The plans are hopelessly flawed.” Billa concluded: “We have seen plenty of different plays, showing plenty of different layouts and several locations for where the Port wants to re-locate our own business. They have actually instructed an architect to design a building for us in the car park close to the Norrard building. The problem is that with so many different versions of plans and different stories being told to different people at different times, how are we supposed to trust them to stick to their end of any deal?”

News

New project launched to preserve Pembrokeshire’s hidden place names

Published

53 seconds ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Communities invited to share historic names of fields, lanes and landmarks

A NEW project has been launched to uncover and protect historic place names across the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park — from forgotten fields to little-known lanes — before they disappear from living memory.

The initiative, led by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority in partnership with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), will gather local knowledge from communities throughout the Park and record it in the national List of Historic Place Names for Wales.

A series of community workshops will take place during 2026, giving residents the opportunity to share names passed down through generations, including those linked to fields, footpaths, buildings and local landmarks.

All information collected will be compiled by Dr James January-McCann, Place Names Officer at the RCAHMW, and formally recorded to help safeguard this cultural heritage for future generations.

Pembrokeshire’s landscape reflects a rich linguistic history shaped by Welsh, English, Nordic and Flemish influences. Organisers say capturing this knowledge now is vital, not only to preserve local identity but also to support landowners, communities and the National Park Authority in future land management and heritage projects.

Tomos Jones, Community Archaeologist at the Park Authority, said: “This is a fantastic project that empowers local communities to come forward with their place names knowledge. The information can then better inform our understanding of the National Park area and help us develop relevant projects.”

Dr James January-McCann added: “Given Pembrokeshire’s rich linguistic history, this is a brilliant opportunity to discover how strong those influences remain today, and to deepen people’s knowledge of their heritage.”

With the National Eisteddfod taking place in Pembrokeshire this year, the project will also use the festival as a platform to reach a wider audience, including a dedicated talk supported by the Eisteddfod team.

Six community workshops are currently scheduled for 2026, with the ambition to expand the programme in future years.

The first workshop will take place at St Davids City Hall on Wednesday (Feb 18), with members of the public invited to drop in at any time between 10:00am and 4:00pm to share information or speak with the project team. Further sessions will be promoted locally and through social media.

Caption: A series of place name workshops will be held to capture the rich linguistic heritage of the local area.

Crime

Pembroke Dock raids: One man in court today as three released on bail

Published

7 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Update follows major Gordon Street operation reported on Friday

ONE man is due to appear in court today (Monday, Feb 16) following last week’s armed police operation in Pembroke Dock, as officers confirmed that three other suspects have been released on bail.

The Herald reported on Friday (Feb 13) that firearms officers, dog units and multiple police vehicles were deployed to Gordon Street during a pre-planned operation involving several specialist departments.

Dyfed-Powys Police has now provided an update on the outcome of the raids.

Two men, aged 37 and 35, and a woman aged 32 — all arrested during Friday’s operation — have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

A fourth suspect, a 28-year-old man arrested for failing to appear in court, has been recalled to prison.

Officers also confirmed that a fifth person was arrested the following day, Saturday (Feb 14).

Zack High, aged 26, has since been charged with grievous bodily harm and is due to appear at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court today.

During the initial operation, police said arrests were made for a range of suspected offences including grievous bodily harm, firearms possession, drugs supply, fraud, and possession of a bladed article.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Hughes, of Pembrokeshire CID, previously thanked the community for its patience during the large police deployment and said the action demonstrated that officers would “deal with offenders robustly and efficiently”.

Charity

Sandy Bear charity relocating headquarters as support expands across Wales

Published

50 minutes ago

February 16, 2026

Tom Sinclair

Move to Narberth administrative base described as “growth, not closure”

SANDY BEAR Children’s Bereavement Charity has announced it will relocate its administrative headquarters to Narberth in March 2026, as the organisation approaches its ninth year supporting children and young people across Wales.

Founded in Pembrokeshire, Sandy Bear originally supported around fifty children and young people each year. Today, the charity provides bereavement support to more than 1,000 children and young people annually across multiple regions of Wales.

The move from Milford Haven reflects the charity’s continued growth and its commitment to ensuring resources are used as effectively as possible, allowing greater investment in frontline bereavement services.

***Lee Barnett, Chief Executive of Sandy Bear (Photo: Supplied)***

The new administrative base will be located at The Old School in Narberth, a community hub managed by PLANED, an organisation Sandy Bear already works closely with through its Carmarthenshire provision.

Lee Barnett, Chief Executive of Sandy Bear, said: “Our priority is, and always will be, the children and young people we support. This move is not about changing who we are, but about strengthening how we work. By using our resources more effectively, we can reach more families across Pembrokeshire and across Wales while staying focused on our core mission.”

The charity has confirmed the relocation will not affect service delivery across Pembrokeshire. Sandy Bear will continue meeting families and running peer support groups in community settings throughout the county and across Wales.

***Iwan Thomas, Chief Executive of PLANED (Photo: Supplied)***

Welcoming Sandy Bear to The Old School, Iwan Thomas, Chief Executive of PLANED said: “When third sector organisations work more closely together, communities benefit. Shared spaces allow charities to collaborate more effectively, unlock new funding opportunities and ultimately increase the impact they can have both locally and nationally.”

Sandy Bear says the move represents a positive and sustainable step forward, ensuring the charity remains accessible, resilient and focused on its mission that no child, wherever they live in Wales, should grieve alone.