Esso site job hopes (From Western Telegraph)

Esso site job hopes

TALKS ARE taking place with a company interested in part of the former Esso Refinery site at Milford Haven.

Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that Esso has had one very serious inquiry and has been in discussion with the company for some time.

It is a commercial enterprise from outside Pembrokeshire, said the county councils inward investment officer Tony Streatfield. The 518-acre site has stood empty since the Esso refinery closed in April 1983 with the loss of 200 jobs. The plant was dismantled and shipped to the United Arab Emirates.

Although a prime waterfront site with deep water facilities and jetties, two-thirds falls within the National Park and any future developments will also have to take account of the fact that the Milford Haven Waterway is part of a candidate SAC (special area of conservation).

Over the years, possible uses have included a £10 million energy park creating 100 jobs, a Japanese plastics factory, storage facilities for imported coal and a salmon farm.

While no information has been given about the latest inquiry, it could bring new job hopes to Milford Haven. The area has long been one of Wales top unemployment blackspots with almost a quarter of the male workforce without jobs.

Milford Haven Port Authorty has also been told about the interest in the site General manager Ted Sangster said: We, as a port authority, have been speaking to Esso as we want to bring one of the berths into use as a lay-by facility for large ships. We were told the company might be in a position to advise us about what was happening in a months time.

The port authoritys interest in the berthing facilities is linked with its bid to attract cruise liners to the Milford Haven Waterway.

Liners too large to use the Port of Pembroke would berth at the Esso jetty and tenders would bring passengers to Milford Docks.

There are lots of berths and I would have thought that our use would be compatible with any other plans for the site, he said.

An Esso spokesman would only comment: Esso confirms that it continues to actively market the site.

We are working closely with the county council, the Welsh Development Agency, Milford Haven Port Authority and others to find viable uses. While recognising that the existing local policy plan expresses a clear preference against non-industrial uses or piecemeal development of the site, we would emphasise that all potential development options will be thoroughly considered.