Is it time to re-discover Milford Haven? (From Western Telegraph)

Is it time to re-discover Milford Haven?

9:58pm Friday 23rd January 2009

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Milford Haven, there's a marina, a port, a supermarket and a nice high street. What more could you want?

Well, quite a lot actually. A recent comment in this paper on Thursday by Cllr Roberts. said: “It’s very limited in the town and I am very concerned about it because there is absolutely nothing here for visitors,”

Yes it is true... but lets look at what Milford Haven actually does have to offer.

Firstly, there is a strong sense of community in the local business groups, a new and potentially vibrant area around the Marina, it has some lovely architecture with georgian and victorian areas near the high street to rival any town in the UK. It also has a high street, which yes, critics will say, Woollies has gone, and there are empty shops... But, there are still people there. Most importantly it also has through traffic from main roads, so more people can pass through or even arrive.

The recent applications for a reduced business rate for business there is a good start, the advertising of bars & cafés at the Marina again helps, but all of this is missing one key element, sustainability.

What is needed, alongside the economic change is a discovery. We need to discover it's identity. Perhaps controversially I would argue that a key attraction for me is the river views. Yes you see oil tankers, yes you see factories and refineries, but wander along the edge of Hamilton Terrace looking out over the industrial landscape along the beautiful River Cleddau is always interesting.

Perhaps in pembrokeshire we are spoilt for nature, we have the coast, the preselis, the islands... Does this make us shun the industrial?

I was in London recently, wandering along the banks of the River Thames, you can only see industrial buildings, old docks now offices, storage buildings now homes and shops, there is a pride in this industrial heritage.

If we can re-discover this pride in industry, the "Brunel spirit" if you like, we can bring this identity out to show Milford Haven for what it is, an industrial and historical town, which awaits re-discovery for it to shine.

I hope the business groups in Milford Haven are successful in their work, and I look forward to visiting the town again, taking pride in our local industry.