Refusal to Cut Haverfordwest’s Multi-Million Pound Transport Interchange Scheme Sparks Debate

A call to cut Haverfordwest’s multi-million pound transport interchange scheme to a single storey, using awarded funding elsewhere in the county, has been refused.
In a submitted question at the October 12 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, Councillor Aled Thomas asked Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change and Deputy Leader of the Council [Cllr Paul Miller] “if he and his Cabinet will immediately write to the Welsh Government asking them to de-restrict the £16.9 million pounds of Welsh Government funding for the Haverfordwest Transport Interchange Scheme”.
Cllr Thomas asked for an amendment of the business case “to just a ground-level car park and associated modern bus station”.
He called for the change “so that the funds can be used for other transport capital projects that are desperately needed in Pembrokeshire, such as enhancing the rail network at both Milford and Pembroke Dock stations, as well as the provision of newer, greener buses which would reduce maintenance cost pressures in the revenue budget”.
Cllr Miller succinctly replied: “No, I will not,” leading Cllr Thomas to thank Cllr Miller for his “concise answer” before asking: “For the sake of the people of Pembrokeshire, I would urge Cllr Miller to reconsider.”
He cited recent cost reductions in the on-going ‘levelling-up’ works in the town, adding: “Yet we are considering eye-watering amounts on this car park”.
Cllr Miller responded saying an expected council outlay of £1.9m was expected to generate – “on a really pessimistic view” – an annual income of £150,000 annually, a return on investment he said many private investors would be pleased to receive.
“But this isn’t what it’s all about,” he added, “the point is to reinvest in the town of Haverfordwest.”
Referring to the proposal to use fuds elsewhere, Cllr Miller said he felt it was “a bit of a poor show to play community off community,” saying schemes in the other areas were in progress, and that the process “wasn’t as simple” as moving money from one town project to other.
Back in July, members of the county council’s Cabinet agreed a temporary car park will be sited on the demolished remains of Haverfordwest’s old multi-storey car park until the Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange – delayed as no compliant tender had been found – is built.
The scheme is part of the South West Wales Metro project and aims to enhance access to the town centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​