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Council Invests in Haverfordwest’s Historical Regen Project

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PEMBROKESHIRE’S Regeneration programme has taken an important step forward with major funding from Pembrokeshire County Council now available to support a new phase of Haverfordwest’s Castle site redevelopment.

Haverfordwest Castle is an important historical and tourism asset to the County with enormous,
previously untapped potential. Since 2015, the castle’s owners Pembrokeshire County Council have
been working with a wide range of local organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors to
realise ambitious plans to bring the castle back into use to play an important role in the regeneration
of the county town.

With first-phase costs of £4 million, Pembrokeshire County Council has shown its intent by pledging
£475,000 as match funding towards the vision. Critically, the Authority are also busy putting
together a funding application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and researching other funding
opportunities and partners to drive forward what promises to be a stunning piece of regenerative
work.

Now over 900 years old, Haverfordwest castle has a rich and fascinating history. In 1289 Queen
Eleanor, the wife of Edward I ‘The Longshanks’ – of Braveheart infamy – acquired it.  In 1648, Oliver
Cromwell ordered the castle to be dismantled but thankfully, that order was not carried out. The
ruins of the castle were robbed of dressed stone over successive centuries, leaving what can be seen
today. With so many more stories to tell, the completion of these renovations will unveil more of the
castle’s fascinating secrets – and its important place in Welsh history – to enthralled visitors from
near and far.

Mike Cavanagh, Head of Culture, Leisure and Registration, sees this work as vital to the
transformation of Haverfordwest and PCC’s vision of making the town a destination of choice. He said: “Although the castle is very centrally placed, it does not look or feel close to the town centre. You can see the castle looming above but it soon disappears and it is very hard to know how to get to it from the town centre. The first phase of our exciting plans are to make the castle much more accessible to people by improving the different routes from the town centre to the castle. We will also complete a perimeter wall walk so that it is not just possible but positively enjoyable and easy to walk all the way around the outside of the castle.”

Mike is excited about the prospect of the historical sites of the town driving its future success. “The
castle redevelopment can help regenerate the town by bringing both local people and tourists to
Haverfordwest. It really can become a cultural showpiece. We know that towns cannot survive on
retail alone these days. They need high quality leisure opportunities to draw people back into our
destinations. The castle gives us a great opportunity to add an attractive leisure offer to
Haverfordwest’s arsenal.”

Perhaps the most exciting element of the scheme will be the creation of an outdoor events space in
the castle grounds with a capacity of around 500. The events space will have an all-weather cover,
hosting everything from comedy, music, theatre through to specialist, local markets. Interaction and
technology will play a role in the castle’s makeover with visitors able to interact with the castle via a
visitor app, digitally discovering more about the castle’s fascinating heritage.

Plans do not stop there: The second phase of the vision for Haverfordwest Castle will see the prison
building within the castle grounds transformed into a modern, digitally enabled and family-friendly
visitor attraction based around the unique and fascinating heritage of the county.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s commitment to the regeneration of the town means that after
centuries of neglect, Haverfordwest castle will become a new jewel in the crown of a County that
is determined to make its regeneration ambitions a reality.

 

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Crime

Police appeal for information after several tractors stolen

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POLICE officers in Pembrokeshire investigating a theft from several tractors, which happened overnight between April 17-18, 2024.

The tractors had been in a field near to Loch Turfin, Haverfordwest.

Included in the stolen items were vehicle keys, tools and waterproof clothing.

A spokesperson said “Police are now appealing for anyone with information that could help them with their investigation to contact PC 772 Boyt either through a direct message on social media, online at: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline, by emailing [email protected] or by calling 101.

“Quote reference: 24*355571”

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Community

Pembrokeshire firefighters help deliver fire engines to Ukraine

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FIRE services from across the United Kingdom have rallied together to donate vital firefighting equipment to Ukraine, amidst ongoing conflicts that have seen local fire stations and firefighters come under direct attack.

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) was at the forefront of this international goodwill effort, donating three fire appliances and dispatching nine of their personnel to ensure safe delivery.

The initiative, coordinated by Fire Aid UK, involved a total of 11 UK fire services. Over a grueling 5.5-day journey that spanned several countries—starting from Kent Fire and Rescue Service and moving through France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and into Poland—33 fire appliances were transported to a location just 20 miles from the Ukraine border. They left Kent on April 23.

This convoy, laden with not just fire engines but also 3000 items of critical firefighting gear including cutting equipment, fire hoses, first aid kits, and generators, was a sight of resilience and humanitarian commitment. Watch Manager Rob MakePeace, a Business Fire Safety Officer, and Watch Manager Keith Jenkins, who is retired but still oversees part-time personnel at Haverfordwest, played pivotal roles in the operation from Pembrokeshire.

Speaking on the experience, Keith Jenkins expressed the profound impact of the mission, “It was a fantastic experience to be involved in. The convoy itself was an amazing sight, but the people we met, places we stayed and the reason we were delivering the appliances was something we will remember for a long time.”

The donation comes at a critical time for Ukraine, where daily attacks have not only jeopardized the lives of local firefighters but have also devastated much of the essential infrastructure needed to fight fires effectively. The additional appliances and equipment from the UK are expected to significantly bolster the capabilities of the Ukrainian fire departments, providing them with the necessary tools to save lives and protect property under dire circumstances.

This act of generosity and the strenuous efforts by the UK firefighters underscore a deep commitment to aiding those in peril, transcending borders and showcasing the best of international cooperation and humanitarian assistance.

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News

Protest outside Stephen Crabb’s office over Rwanda deportations

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SUPPORTERS of West Wales Stand Up to Racism group will attend a protest outside the office of Stephen Crabb MP in Market Street at 6pm on Tuesday evening (May 7).

The protest is to highlight the inhumane scheme to send refugees to Rwanda.

Since the Rwanda Bill was finally passed last week, refugees have already been identified, detained and are being prepared to be flown to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there.

Rushi Sunak has said “To detain people while we prepare to remove them, we’ve increased detention spaces to 2,200.

“To quickly process claims, we’ve got 200 trained, dedicated caseworkers ready and waiting. To deal with any legal cases quickly and decisively, the judiciary has made available 25 courtrooms and identified 150 judges who could provide over 5,000 sitting days.”

The protestors are asking: why is all this money being spent when these vulnerable people could have their asylum claims dealt with in the UK?

If the Prime Minister hoped his Rwanda plan would help get more votes for the Conservative Party in the recent elections, it would appear he was mistaken.

A new report from the Refugee Council warns that the UK Government’s flagship Illegal Migration Act and Rwanda Plan will lead to another catastrophic “system meltdown”, trapping over 100,000 people in permanent limbo while costing taxpayers billions.

West Wales Stand Up to Racism has campaigned against the Government’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda from the time this scheme was first suggested.

Supporters have previously met with Simon Hart MP and attempted to deliver a giant postcard to his office.

The group has taken part in the online Hands in Protest project organised by Artisan Avenue, Tenby which allowed everyone to express on line how they felt about Rwanda by submitting drawings of their own hands. The collective Hands In Protest gives a powerful message that the Rwanda plan should be stopped.

The organisers said: “Supporters will be once more taking the giant postcard on Tuesday, to protest about the Rwanda scheme. We will have small post cards for supporters to write messages to Stephen Crabb, telling him how strongly we feel about this.

“All over the UK, anti-racists are picketing Home Office buildings to show their opposition to the Rwanda scheme and are trying to prevent arrests and giving support to the refugees being arrested and detained.

“West Wales Stand Up to Racism supporters want to make their voices heard too.”

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