THE future of all four of the county’s council-owned markets - including a proposal for Haverfordwest to be marketed as a “town centre regeneration opportunity” - is to be decided by cabinet on Monday (July 7).

Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet members approved a review into Haverfordwest, Tenby, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock markets last December.

A report due to go before cabinet includes a recommendation for Haverfordwest market –which sits between Bridge Street and Riverside Quay – to be promoted as a town centre regeneration opportunity for one year with the market continuing to trade during this time.

The report by the council’s director of development, Dr Steven Jones, refers to the market as “more of an indoor shopping arcade than a traditional market” and states that “retailers are regularly closed or shut at unexpected times leading to inconsistency and uncertainty”.

The building is also in need of “significant” investment.

More could be done with the market building, the report suggests, as part of a larger regeneration project but the council is not in a position to undertake such a scheme.

Council-owned land next to the market would be included in the marketing and “potential developers” would be encouraged to work with traders “to ascertain whether a new market could be provided within any scheme”.

The proposal for Tenby Market includes plans for the council to negotiate a lease for the Market Trust to take on the ownership.

In Fishguard, the council intends to either negotiate with traders to take over the operation of the Thursday market or for the Town Team to take ownership of the entire Town Hall building.

Pembroke Dock Market would be run as part of the Futureworks skills and employment initiative, subject to its grant funding “but that in the event of grand funding being withdrawn the market would close”.

The council has to save £20m over the next three years.