THE final countdown has started to a major cultural event that could inject as much as £60million into the Pembrokeshire economy.

Work began on Friday on preparing the site of the Urdd National Eisteddfod, being held at the end of May in the north of the county.

It will take six weeks to get the site ready to welcome an expected 100,000 visitors who will not only bring business to firms around the small village of Boncath, but to west Wales in general.

Eisteddfod director Aled Siôn said: “Research by Beaufort on past eisteddfodau has shown that they can bring around £60million to the local economy.

‘The Eisteddfod site alone costs £2million and the research shows around 30% of visitors stay in the area for at least one night as well as visit other attractions while they are here.

‘They also tend to revisit the area in the future as well.”

Emyr Phillips, chairman of the local executive committee which brought the event to the county, added that every effort had been made to get the work on site done by local firms.

It’s been a massive undertaking for the committee, which is responsible for every aspect of the eisteddfod, from setting competition subjects to fundraising.

He stressed that the partnership with the county council and local landowners Alan and Tudoria Bowen – who also provided the same Cilwendeg site when the Urdd eisteddfod last visited in 1995 – had been crucial.

The host county’s fundraising target of £250,000 has almost been met with a plethora of events from concerts to coffee mornings.

The singing, dancing, drama, poetry and musical competitions have involved 40,000 children across Wales, and 15,000 of those will have reached the final eisteddfod stages.

“Everything is going to plan and we look forward to welcoming everyone from every corner of Wales,” said Mr Phillips.

For more information visit www.urdd.org/eisteddfod.

 

Six weeks work

 

THE six-week on-site work will involve more than 2,000 tracks being laid on the 75-acre site at Cilwendeg with nearly 750 metres of electrical cables being buried.

Four car parks will aim to deal with traffic from whichever direction it comes and in the final week 200 toilets will be delivered. Two hundred and fifty caravans will also be accommodated next to the site. A special effort is being made to encourage a green approach to travel, with extra bus services and special facilities for cyclists.

Organisers are also encouraging visitors to share cars where possible.