Haverfordwest Riverside shopping centre bid to boost town

A new library (left) has opened opposite the shopping centre

Council leaders have agreed to try again to buy a shopping centre in a bid to regenerate their county town.

Owners of the Riverside shopping centre in Haverfordwest turned down a previous offer from Pembrokeshire in favour of a rival bidder.

But no sale went through for the site, home to several well-known store chains and the Perrots Road car park.

Councillor Paul Miller, cabinet member for regeneration, said he believed it would cost no more than £700,000.

'Hole in the middle'

Regeneration of the riverside is already underway, with the opening of a new library and cultural centre in 2018, and plans to redevelop the former Ocky White building, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report to councillors warns that not purchasing the shopping centre "leaves a 'hole in the middle' where investment might be limited if controlled by a distant third party".

Mr Miller stressed that external partners would be brought in to help transform the site, but added: "The private sector is not going to repurpose the town centre for us."

Councillor Tessa Hodgson, cabinet member for social services, added her support, pointing out that Welsh Government grants were available as long as the site was used to deliver a "wider project", including arts, culture or green open spaces.