A SENIOR Pembrokeshire County Councillor has admitted he is not confident that a cinema and restaurant development planned for Haverfordwest town centre will go ahead.

The update on the proposals by Fairacre came from Cllr Paul Miller, the cabinet member for economy, leisure and culture.

Town centre regeneration is a corporate priority for Pembrokeshire County Council with six larger towns – including county town Haverfordwest-  all looking to make improvements.

A recent services overview and scrutiny committee heard an update on just some of the schemes, plans and ideas underway.

In Haverfordwest the new library building is due to be completed in the autumn, providing another reason to visit the town centre, more than retail, and there is still a plan for a cinema complex although Cllr Miller is “not confident” it will be completed.

The plan is to develop the Wilko site in the town centre and create a five screen cinema at first floor level with room for four or five restaurants at ground level alongside the river.

Planning for the development was granted in August 2017 and welcomed as a major boost to the town centre.

“We are continuing to work with them and there are still some potential solutions so I haven’t given up,” Cllr Miller said of developers Fairacre.

He added the development would not happen without financial involvement from Pembrokeshire County Council.

“They won’t be holding a gun to our heads, I won’t allow that to happen,” said Cllr Miller.

He added that there were plans being made to create a “food emporium” or similar, with potential Welsh Government funding, in the old Ocky White building as well as continuing the regeneration of the Old Post Office, that has been revitalised by HaverHub.

Cllr David Pugh said: “It will make a genuine change in Haverfordwest and it certainly needs it. There’s not enough reason for people to go into the town centre.”

The possibility of providing affordable housing in the town centre was also raised as way of boosting “café culture” and encouraging more people into the town at all times of the day and the night.

On the outskirts of the county town plans are underway for a ‘food park’ with industrial units up to a standard suitable for production and processing.

Head of regeneration Martin White said European funding had been received for infrastructure works and that had already begun at the site to the rear of Day’s Motor Group on the Fishguard Road.

“We now have the match funding and secured Welsh Government funding to build units on the land owned by the council and funding secured for the first stage,” he added.

Other plans set to improve Haverfordwest is the town council backed improvements at Priory Saltings, providing a circular walk linking green space, with historic sites and the town centre.

Cllr Miller said there was also funding in place for a feasibility study for developing a heritage centre at the town castle, again adding to the retail mix.