News

Port of Milford Haven interested in joining free trade zone initiative

Published

5 years ago

August 3, 2019

THE GOVERNMENT has pledged to create up to ten freeports to boost trade and manufacturing after the country’s departure from the EU on October 31, according to plans quoted in Reuters.

The freeports, also known as free trade zones, are also expected to cut costs and bureaucracy and will allow firms to import and re-export goods outside of normal tax and customs regulation.

British ports will be able to bid for Freeport status and the government has created a new Freeports Advisory Panel to assist the process.

The Port of Milford Haven iso one of the ports who have already expressed their interest in joining the free trade zone initiative, a government spokesman has said.

Commenting on the establishment of the Freeport Advisory Panel, Andy Jones, Chief Executive at the Port of Milford Haven told The Pembrokeshire Herald: “In partnership with the Welsh Government and the Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone, we will progress an application for a free trade area to create the business conditions for continued growth for the existing international organisations located here today and the enterprises of tomorrow.”

Boris Johnson, first promoted the idea of freeports during his Tory leadership campaign, suggesting that the government should create “about six” free trade zones around the country.

He believes that the free trade zones will create jobs in so-called “left-behind areas”.

Rishi Sunak, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said in a statement, “We are exploring freeports as an innovative way to drive growth and support thousands of high-skilled jobs across the UK.”

“We will focus on those areas that could benefit the most, as we look to boost investment and opportunity for communities across the country,” he added.

A recent study by Mace, a consultancy and construction company, reported that creating seven freeports in the north of England could potentially add USD$10.8 billion per year to the country’s GDP as well as creating over 150,000 jobs.

However, this figure was questioned by the UK Trade Policy Observatory, run by the University of Sussex and Chatham House think-tank, claiming that much of the initiative would just involve redistributing business from other parts of the country.

The country had seven freeports at various points between 1984 and 2012. These zones included the Port of Sheerness, Liverpool and Southampton.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said that, “Freedoms transformed London’s Docklands in the 1980s, and free ports will do the same for towns and cities across the UK.”

A 2013 US Congressional report estimated that there were about 3,500 freeports worldwide spread across 135 countries, mostly located in the Far East. Currently, there are about 80 freeports across the EU Member States, mostly in countries that joined the Union after 2004.

While these zones are allowed under EU regulation, the block does not encourage them, arguing that that they creates unfair competition between companies.

Supporters of the initiative argue that the benefits would be greater after Brexit as the UK will be allowed to diverge from other EU rules on subsidies.

News

Police close Westfield Pill Bridge over concerns for person’s welfare

Published

1 min ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

FEARS for a person’s safety led police to close Westfield Pill Bridge, near Neyland.

The bridge, on the A477 between Honeyborough roundabout and the Cleddau Bridge, was shut for just over an hour, with drivers advised to seek alternative routes.

The incident took place on Friday evening and was concluded when the person was located safe and well.

A Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Dyfed-Powys Police received a call for a concern for the welfare of an individual on Westfield Pill Bridge at around 7:30pm on Friday, December 20.

“The road was closed and reopened at around 8:40pm.

“The individual was located safe and well.”

This is not the first time such an incident has led to a bridge closure.

There have been several previous similar incidents, including on Friday, October 4, 2024, the Cleddau Bridge was closed for about an hour following a call reporting a welfare concern. The closure occurred at around 4:45pm, and the bridge reopened at 5:45pm.

The person involved was taken to the hospital for treatment.

In June, a multi–agency rescue operation unfolded at Neyland Marina after a youth jumped approximately 40 metres from Westfield Bridge into the water below.

Emergency services, including crews from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) stations in Haverfordwest, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, and Carmarthen, were swiftly dispatched to the scene.

According to a spokesperson for MAWWFRS, members of the public were instrumental in rescuing the youth before the arrival of the emergency crews.

Charity

NatWest Cymru encourages customers in Wales to spread Christmas cheer

Published

16 mins ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

NATWEST has introduced a new way for its customers to support Social Bite in the fight against homelessness this festive season.

Through its mobile app based MyRewards programme, customers can now easily donate their available Rewards (over £5) to buy someone experiencing homelessness a Christmas dinner with Social Bite. NatWest has also pledged to match all donations to any of its 16 MyRewards charities, including Social Bite, up to the value of £50 until 31st December, up to a total of £150,000.

The initiative comes as part of Social Bite’s ‘Festival of Kindness’ – an annual mission that aims to provide 300,000 meals, gifts, and essential items to people who are homeless and vulnerable this Christmas.

NatWest has previously worked with the Scottish charity to open a coffee outlet for colleagues and visitors in its Royal Bank HQ in the capital Edinburgh, as well as launching a public coffee shop at its site at 440 Strand, London.

Since the launch of Festival of Kindness in 2020, Social Bite has successfully distributed 1.1 million meals, gifts, and essentials to people who are homeless during the festive period.

Jessica Shipman, Chair, NatWest Cymru Regional Board, said: “Social Bite makes a positive difference to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. The festive season often brings into focus the hardship so many face every day.

“We know that people want to help but don’t know how. We’re excited to support Social Bite’s inspiring ‘Festival of Kindness’ initiative, giving our customers a way to gift a homeless person a warm meal.

“We encourage everyone to join in and help make the festive season a little brighter for the most vulnerable in our society.”

Josh Littlejohn MBE, Founder of Social Bite, added: “Social Bite is proud to have had the support of NatWest for a number of years, and together, we’ve made great strides to help people break the cycle of homelessness.

“For many of us, Christmas is a period where we look forward to spending time with friends, family and loved ones. However, the reality is very different for people without a place to call home over the festive season. With homelessness rising across the UK, it’s more important than ever that we do what we can to help people affected by homelessness and food poverty.

“A big thank you to all the wonderful NatWest customers who chose to donate their rewards to Social Bite. Your contribution will make a real difference to someone in need, including a hot meal with all the trimmings in loving company on Christmas Day.”

To find out more about NatWest’s MyRewards and the other charities which are being supported, please visit: https://personal.secure1.natwest.com/app/MyRewards

Information on Social Bite’s Festival can be found: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/

Community

Emergency call outage affected Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire

Published

19 mins ago

December 23, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RESIDENTS in parts of Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire faced difficulties contacting emergency services via the 999 landline number on Sunday (Dec 17) due to a temporary outage.

Dyfed-Powys Police issued alerts on social media, warning residents of potential issues when trying to dial 999 from landlines in affected areas. Locations impacted included Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew, and surrounding areas.

In a statement, police advised: “You may have faced problems calling 999 from a landline in the Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire area. Places likely to have been affected were Pembroke, Manorbier, Carew. Please try calling from a mobile phone as mobile networks may have been working normally. Normal service will be restored as soon as possible. Non-emergencies can be reported online. Please look out for further updates.”

Later in the day, an update confirmed that the 999 landline service had been restored in the Llangrannog and Llanteg areas.

The temporary disruption raised concerns about access to emergency services in rural areas, where mobile coverage can sometimes be unreliable.

Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant and use alternative communication methods in the event of future disruptions. Further updates are expected as investigations into the cause of the outage continue.

For non-emergency issues, residents can continue to report incidents via the Dyfed-Powys Police website or contact their local police station directly.