A call to share the costs of the first phase of Pembroke’s South Quay project with councillors led to a repeat criticism of the previous council administration.

Led by Pembrokeshire County Council, the South Quay project – by the town’s castle – centres on the rebuild of formerly derelict properties on Castle Terrace to create a new public visitor centre, library and café.

Landscape and public realm enhancements will bring the burgage plots back into productive use.

A question on costs was submitted by Pembroke Monkton and St Mary South councillor Jonathan Grimes, which was heard at the May meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s full council.

Cllr Grimes asked: “Could the relevant cabinet member update members on the cost so far of phase one of the South Quay Project in Pembroke?

“Of this cost, could this be broken down into what has been grant funded and what has been publicly funded?

“Further, what is the anticipated cost to complete the project, including how much of this has secure grant funding and how much will the authority have to pay?”

Answering the question, Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change Councillor Paul Miller reiterated criticisms made about the previous council administration made at a Cabinet meeting last month.

At that meeting he detailed a history of building acquisition at the site going back decades, adding: “A number of buildings in that cluster are listed and there are some that would suggest, to have left them deteriorate like the previous administration did for two decades, was negligent in the extreme; indeed, under listed buildings the authority should have been serving repair notices upon itself, that’s not what happened.”

He said the current administration was determined to regenerate Pembroke.

“Pembroke is – or should be – a jewel in the crown of the county of Pembrokeshire; I’m determined we will do everything we possibly can to help that community regenerate that town.

“We can’t do that if we leave a super-prominent cluster of buildings right adjacent to the castle in the centre of Pembroke looking dreadful while they gently fall down.”

Referring to costs incurred, Cllr Miller told the May meeting they amounted to £4.7m, with the county council’s contribution adding up to £2.4m.

A pre-application consultation has recently been launched on the second phase of the project.

The overall cost of the whole project is expected to be some £20.3m.