Move from retail to leisure for Port development plan
THE plans for the multi-million pound Milford Waterfront development have been amended to include a restaurant on stilts, a large indoor leisure facility and a second upmarket hotel.
The Port received a resolution to grant planning consent in 2015 and since then work has been ongoing to finalise the details for the five phases of development.
The previous plans were centred largely around a retail development but as a result of market changes the development will now be leisure-led.
The food retail store has been replaced with a large indoor leisure facility, offering an interactive digitally-led experience for all ages which will be open all year round.
A second upmarket hotel has been added in line with the desire to create a leisure and tourist destination and a high quality restaurant on stilts is envisaged for the north end of the marina, which can be accessed from the marina or from the quayside. The dry dock will no longer be in-filled, but instead used for private berthing alongside new residential accommodation overlooking the marina and Haven.
Opposite the entrance to Milford Waterfront the Quay Stores building will be redeveloped, bringing a listed building back into use.
The link between the town’s train station and Havens Head Retail Park will also be landscaped to create a welcoming experience for visiting rail passengers and safe access to the marina.
Neil Jenkins, Development Director at the Port of Milford Haven, said: “We have worked hard on fine-tuning the plans over the past couple of years to ensure they are in line with market trends and are confident that we’re now in a position to deliver a fantastic development in a unique waterfront setting which will provide huge economic benefits to the Pembrokeshire and Welsh economies.”
He added “Work has already started on site for a new Costa Coffee Drive-Thru at Milford Waterfront, a new visitor centre has been opened within the museum and later this year we’ll be launching a new holiday let overlooking the Haven as well as four Floatel Cabins in the marina with terraces overlooking the water.
“It’s an exciting time for the area and we look forward to receiving feedback from the local authority.”
The development of the Waterfront is a key to the Port’s future growth.
The Port saw a £3m fall in profits in this year’s trading result. The fall was attributed to the ongoing volatility in the liquefied natural gas (LNG) industry, but the chairman says the result “masks” positive performances elsewhere.
“The fall in profits masks the positive performance of the other areas of the Port’s business and is a confirmation of the changes it has been making to deliver its diversification strategy,” said Chris Martin, chairman of the Port of Milford Haven.
A major investment was completed last year that saw the acquisition of Havens Head Retail Park, which will complement the Port’s extensive property portfolio and become a key part of the Waterfront development.