News

Committee rejects Ocky White sale price

Published

7 years ago

September 28, 2018

COUNCILLORS have overwhelmingly stated they feel the sale price of £460,000 for the Ocky White building in Haverfordwest does not represent good value for money.

When it was agreed at a meeting of the Cabinet in September that the Council should go ahead with acquiring the building many people were left angry at the decision.

Three days later after that meeting, Cllrs Jacob Williams, Mike Stoddart, Viv Stoddart, Mike Evans, Pearl Llewellyn and Phil Kidney called in Cabinet’s decision saying it was poor value for taxpayers money and that it does not present the full financial picture.

The matter was then brought to an extraordinary meeting of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on Friday, September 28.

Before discussion took place members were presented with an option of discussing the matter in open session or in private as two documents had been classed as restricted.

Cllr Phil Kidney said he was ‘very keen’ for the matter to be held in open session as it was a ‘very large amount of money’.

The Councils’ Head of Legal Services Claire Incledon told members that the parties involved had asked for the documents to be restricted.

Cllr Jamie Adams said they had to respect those wishes and proposed that the meeting be held in open session and go into private session to discuss the restricted document if necessary. That was approved unanimously.

Cllr Jacob Williams said there hadn’t been much scrutiny at Cabinet and said it represented poor value to taxpayers. He also said that the price agreed of £460,000 was ‘vastly over the top’ and described it as ‘scandalous’.

He added: “The significance of the building is overhyped. It has a listed building as an annex and we would be rewarding a property owner of a not particularly attractive building with taxpayers’ money.

“I have not yet seen a positive public comment on this proposal. People say this will be a waste of millions of pounds, the purchase price is too high and there is a lot of resentment to the council spending £460,000 on the back of the 12.5% hike in council tax.

“People have said to me the price agreed is way too high, that it has been up for sale and attracted no interest and that it is worth a maximum of £100,000.”

Cllr Mike Stoddart added: “We are offering £460,000 spending £3m on it and ending up with asset of £750,000, even with the Welsh Government loan it is still a bad deal.”

Cllr Viv Stoddart explained that at a meeting of the strategic asset management group in July there were serious concerns that the figures didn’t stack up and called for the Cabinet to look at this again.

Cllr Mike Evans said that other than this committee they had no involvement in this decision and said once the building was purchased the rates on an empty building would be the councils to pick up. He also said there had been no interest in other buildings in the town and that rents in Haverfordwest had ‘fallen through the floor’.

Cllr Pearl Llewellyn said she had listened to people in her ward who were complaining about vacant buildings in Pembroke such as South Quay and added they had said it was nice to see that some councillors have had the balls to call this in.

Cabinet member Cllr Paul Miller said they had given much greater priority to supporting economy in Pembrokeshire and that the aspiration for Haverfordwest was much wider than this one building.

He added: “The acquisition of Ocky White shouldn’t be viewed in isolation, it is the proposed first step in future for Haverfordwest. The grant award is based on refurbishment and this is the option we have pursued so far.

“We need to buy this building to demonstrate our commitment to the wholesale plan for the redevelopment of the town centre.”

Cllr Jamie Adams said although the scheme had been in the offing for a long time he could not support the decision to invest in the building saying ‘it is incompatible with financial demands’.

Cllr Stephen Joseph said it did not make sense and said he couldn’t back it as it is ‘fundamentally flawed’ adding it was ‘bonkers’ at a time when everyone is feeling the pinch.

Cllr Di Clements added: “Just because Welsh Government money is available it doesn’t me we should go chasing it. This is taxpayers money, I am not sold on this and demolition is probably the way to go.”

She later added that they were being asked to make a ‘huge leap of faith’ as they did not know the final costs or if the building would be occupied.

Cllr Brian Hall said it was a ‘total waste of money’ while Cllr Tony Wilcox suggested the council should get another independent valuation on the building before having another long hard look at it.

Cllr David Pugh said: “Retailing has changed dramatically, just basing it on retail is not going to work. Business rents have dropped dramatically and there just isn’t the demand for it, I do sympathise, it is a huge problem and there isn’t an easy fix. Something needs to be done or we will just end up with another shambles.

“The revenue implications are huge and I really struggle to make sense of this acquisition, the price is far too high, it is not worth a penny and I can’t support spending £460,000 for a building where we don’t know what we’re going to find.”

Haverfordwest Cllr Tim Evans said a lot of these things should have been done 30 years ago but did not support the sale going ahead at the price mentioned.

Head of property Barry Cooke said he would not buy the building at that price saying it was too high but added that the owners won’t sell for anything less than that. “If we can’t acquire the property we will not able to proceed with first step. It is a difficult building to value but we did get them down to £450,000 but they have quoted more than that,” he added.

Cllr Williams went on to ask questions of where the £460,000 figure came from and described it as ‘really bad negotiation’ adding it was ‘very dodgy’ if they were to pay that price for the building.

Cllr Paul Miller explained that although Cabinet resolved to buy the building they would need to some further work on the masterplan.

He said: “If once we have done the work we decide we don’t need Ocky White, it needs to be demolished and we wouldn’t accept the grant and refurbish building.”

Cllr Stoddart said that wasn’t the impression the public got and said he did not want to see the authority with another Cherry Grove on its hands.

Summing up he said it was the view of the committee that there was no problem with the council buying the building but that there was a problem with the price.

Cllr Jamie Adams moved that the Committee does not support the decision of Cabinet due to inevitable ongoing revenue risk and that the purchase price offers poor value for this Council. It was seconded by Cllr Pugh and was passed by a majority with Cllr Alison Tudor voting against.

Community

Crowds line streets as tractor run hailed a festive success

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

CROWDS lined streets and pavements across Pembrokeshire on Saturday evening (Dec 20) as Clarbeston Road AFC’s illuminated Christmas tractor run was hailed a resounding success.

More than 200 tractors took part in the event, travelling through villages and towns including Newmoat, Maenclochog, Llys-y-frân, Walton East, Clarbeston Road, Wiston, Newbridge, Poyston Cross, Crundale and Haverfordwest, where large crowds gathered to watch the festive convoy pass through.

Families, children and residents wrapped up against the cold to enjoy the sight of tractors decorated with Christmas lights and festive displays, with applause and waves greeting drivers as they made their way through built-up areas and rural roads alike.

The convoy set off from the Clarbeston Road AFC Knock Playing Fields at 5:30pm and concluded at the County Showground in Haverfordwest later in the evening. At the end of the run, refreshments were available and the raffle draw took place at the Park House building, which was open to the public.

Organisers said the turnout from both drivers and spectators exceeded expectations, with the event once again bringing communities together while raising funds for local causes, including The Catrin Vaughan Foundation, In It With Isaac, and Wales Air Ambulance.

Clarbeston Road AFC thanked tractor drivers, volunteers, sponsors and members of the public for their support, as well as residents and road users for their patience while the convoy passed through.

The illuminated tractor run has become a firm fixture in the local festive calendar, with Friday night’s event described by many spectators as one of the best yet.

Community

Charity tractor and car run set to raise funds for Macmillan and Paul Sartori

Published

4 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A CHARITY tractor and car run in memory of Charles Rees is set to take place in Pembrokeshire later this month, with funds raised supporting Macmillan Cancer Support and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home.

The Charles Rees Tractor & Car Run will be held on Sunday, December 28, 2025, starting and finishing at Dudwell Farm in Camrose.

Participants are being invited to “start their engines” in aid of the two charities, with gates opening at 9:00am and the convoy leaving promptly at 10:30am. Organisers have confirmed that the run will operate with no halfway stops, returning to Dudwell Farm at the end of the route.

The event will begin and finish at Dudwell Farm, Camrose (SA62 6HJ), and is open to tractors and cars. Registration and cash payment will take place on the day, with the price to be confirmed nearer the event.

Additional donations can also be made locally in the run-up to the event at Camrose Country Hardware and Croesgoch Stores.

The run has been organised to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, which provides vital care and assistance to people living with cancer, and Paul Sartori Hospice at Home, which supports patients and families across Pembrokeshire during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

Organisers say more information will be released closer to the event and are encouraging the local community to support the run, whether by taking part, donating, or lining the route to show support.

The event is expected to attract strong local interest, continuing Pembrokeshire’s tradition of community-led fundraising in support of much-valued charities.

News

Late Griffiths strike caps dramatic Clarby fightback in nine-goal thriller

Published

5 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Herald Sport

CLARBESTON ROAD staged a remarkable comeback to edge out Pennar Robins in a breathless Division One contest that delivered nine goals, wild swings of momentum and a hat-trick that ultimately counted for nothing.

Despite falling behind on three separate occasions, Clarby showed resilience and attacking intent to secure a 5–4 victory, sealed late on by Emyr Griffiths after the hosts had earlier trailed 3–1 in the first half.

For Pennar, the result was a bitter one. Jack Jones struck three times and the Robins led at 1–0, 3–1 and 4–3, but each advantage slipped away as Clarby refused to lie down.

The opening exchanges hinted at little of what was to come. Ben ‘Rocky’ John tested Pennar goalkeeper Ryeley Clark early on, while Tom Davies dragged an effort wide at the other end. The game burst into life after nine minutes when Pennar opened the scoring following a slick team move. Nicholas Willis drove forward down the right, combined neatly with Kieran Smith and Noah Davison, and was tripped inside the box. Jack Jones made no mistake from the penalty spot.

Clarby responded almost immediately. Player-manager Matthew Ellis, keen to atone for conceding the penalty, rose to head home Travis Jones’ corner at the near post just two minutes later.

Pennar regained control midway through the half. Tom Grimwood’s curling corner was met by Jones, who nodded in at the back post, and moments later the same duo combined again as Jones completed his hat-trick, finishing from close range after Grimwood beat his marker and cut the ball back.

Crucially, Clarby struck back before the break. Matthew Bowen delivered an inviting cross from the left and John powered a header past Clark to give the hosts renewed belief heading into half-time.

With the wind at their backs, Clarby came out flying after the restart. John levelled matters by cutting inside and firing low into the corner, before sustained pressure saw Matthew Davies have a goal ruled out for offside and substitute Josh Woods flash a shot across goal.

Against the run of play, Pennar edged back in front on 69 minutes when substitutes combined — Adam Phillips delivering a cross that Conner Phillips met unmarked to head home.

Once again, Clarby refused to fold. Jack Ashman drove forward from the edge of the area and thundered a high finish into the net to make it 4–4, before the decisive moment arrived 12 minutes from time. Griffiths broke through the Pennar back line and showed composure to lift the ball beyond Clark, completing a stunning turnaround.

Clarby managed the closing stages well to see out a vital win ahead of the Christmas break.

Man of the match: Jack Jones
Despite ending on the losing side, Jones’ clinical finishing and constant threat were impossible to ignore. Kieran Smith and Noah Davison were also influential in Pennar’s first-half dominance, while Ben John was central to Clarby’s revival before limping off with a knee issue.

Clarby player-manager Matthew Ellis said: “It’s a huge three points. After nine goals your head’s spinning a bit, but you’ll take it when you’re on the right side of the result. Pennar caused us problems early on, but we really turned it around after the break.”

Pennar manager Craig Butland said: “The second half wasn’t good enough. Individual errors are hurting us and conceding just before half-time changed the momentum. We’ve got to see games out better.”

Clarbeston Road: Rhys Mansell, Matthew Bowen, Greg Brown, Matthew Griffiths, Samuel Hurton, Jack Ashman, Emyr Griffiths, Matthew Davies (capt), Matthew Ellis, Ben John (Jake Wesley 62), Travis Jones. Sub not used: Joseph Jones.

Pennar Robins: Ryeley Clark, Nick Willis (Ryan Walters 80), Alex Wheeler (Adam Phillips 53), Ethan Ball, Bobby Jones (Conner Willis 53), Connor Roberts, Tom Grimwood, Kieran Smith (capt), Noah Davison, Jack Jones, Toby Davies.

Referee: Stefan Jenkins.