The Port of Milford Haven in south Wales has made a significant contribution to ensure six pontoons continue to be available for leisure users of the Milford Haven Waterway for another decade.

Working collaboratively with Pembrokeshire County Council, the Port will assist with costs towards the management, maintenance and repair of the facilities at Dale, Burton, Neyland, Hobbs Point in Pembroke Dock, and Hazelbeach, for the next ten years.

The pontoons are used by recreational vessels and for people and equipment to be dropped off and collected. Five are shore-connecting and deployed at their locations between April and October, while the outer pontoon at Dale remains in location all year. Boats can stay for up to 12 hours for their passengers to enjoy their surroundings, whether that be fishing, water sports or going ashore.

Leisure users who are looking forward to making the most of the great outdoors this summer are reminded to plan their activities carefully, for example by checking the tides, letting someone know the details of their journey, ensuring their vessel is seaworthy and knowing how to call for help. More helpful safety tips can be found online.

Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, Mike Ryan, commented “The Milford Haven Waterway is a fantastic stretch of water for people to spend their leisure time. Many locals and visitors to the area make use of these pontoons for water-based activities, so we’re pleased to contribute to their upkeep to ensure they remain safe for everyone to enjoy.”

Councillor Rhys Sinnett, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, said “We are extremely grateful to the Port of Milford Haven for their contribution to ensure these six pontoons continue to be available for residents and visitors. This is an excellent example of local bodies working together in partnership for the local community.”

He continued “The Haven Waterway is one of our greatest assets and we know just how important these pontoons are, not just for those visiting the area but also for our local boat users and residents to enjoy the Waterway.”

The Milford Haven Waterway 5 Year Recreation Management Plan contains details about recreational activities and can be viewed here. 

The Chair of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium visited the Port of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire recently to see first-hand how a freeport would transform the Welsh economy.

Such a transformation would secure the benefits of the floating offshore wind (FLOW), hydrogen and sustainable fuels industries, for the people of Wales.

Roger Maggs MBE chair of the consortium on his visit to the UK's largest energy port, was hosted by Rt Hon Simon Hart MP and Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP along with representatives of the Celtic Freeport bid consortium.

Over 16,000 new jobs and up to £5.5 billion of new investment is expected to be generated by the Celtic Freeport. It will create a wide range of opportunities across Wales by accelerating investment, encouraging innovation, securing our future energy needs and fast-tracking modern skills development for new green industries.

A notable example of how focussed investment has already created new opportunities across the region is the £60 million Pembroke Dock Marine project. With construction of a mega-slipway, upgraded port infrastructure and additional workboat pontoons due to be completed towards the end of 2024, an increasing number of clean energy developers and support businesses are choosing to base themselves here, benefitting from being part of a renewables hub with easy access to the Celtic Sea.

Not only is this building a stronger economy, but it is also unlocking exciting new career opportunities across the region.

For further information of the Celtic Freeport bid can be found here.

The south Wales Port of Milford Haven has won the Port Sustainability Award at the British Ports Association’s Conference which was held recently in Aberdeen.

Recognising ports for their sustainability credentials, the award highlights the Port of Milford Haven’s commitment not only to environmental sustainability, but also its work to improve the sustainability of the communities surrounding the Port.

Among the examples given that demonstrated this were the Port’s collaboration with the Milford Haven Energy Kingdom project which delivered the world’s first smart hydrogen hybrid system in a commercial setting; a community engagement initiative which resulted in a music video performed by school pupils highlighting exciting opportunities for them in imminent renewable energy developments locally; the purchase of a fleet of electric vehicles and the Coastal Communities Adapting Together (CCAT) project.

At the start of the year, the Pembrokeshire port launched a dedicated Green Energy Fund that supports local charitable organisations and other not-for-profit organisations to improve their environmental sustainability.

A stand-out initiative established by the Port is the formation of Milford Haven Waterway Future Energy Cluster - a coalition of energy companies, renewable developers, green technology innovators and the local council. Together, the Cluster has set a low carbon vision for the Milford Haven Waterway to support UK Net Zero ambitions.

The Port also made a commitment in 2022 to the Real Living Wage. In addition, it introduced a ‘Community Benefits’ section to procurement procedures, asking all tenderers to outline how they will provide community benefits whilst working for the Port.

Chris Martin, Chairman, said: “We are unbelievably proud of all the work the team has put into ensuring sustainability is ingrained in everything we do. The Port is led by a team of local people who are fully immersed in the community and are passionate about making a positive difference. I am personally very proud of all the work they have accomplished in recent years and look forward to what the future may bring.”

The port's CEO Tom Sawyer added: “Winning this award is a great achievement for the whole team. When we introduced Sustainability as a core value, we were dedicating ourselves to working harder than we already were to promote this in the community. Sustainability isn’t just for the environment, it is for jobs, communities, and society. We are very proud to have been given this recognition by the British Ports Association.”

On the south west coast of Wales, Milford Marina is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and, to celebrate, the team are asking for local people to participate in marking the event.

Berth holders, past and present are invited to submit their stories to help capture the rich history of the development of the 225 berth marina built in 1991. Milford Marina has evolved and expanded to now offering over 300 berths.

The location of the marina on Milford Haven Waterway, is steeped in rich history and the team are celebrating this milestone by collating stories from the last 30 years to be used in the celebration campaign #MilfordMarina30.

Lucy Wonnacott, Marketing Manager for the Port of Milford Haven commented: “We are so proud and excited to be able to celebrate 30 years of Milford Marina! It is a key element in the exciting Waterfront development here in Milford Haven, and is home to so many brilliant stories. We want to celebrate those stories, and the community that have helped make it so successful. Please do get in touch with us, we hope you will join us on a historical voyage as we celebrate 30 years of Milford Marina!”

Milford Marina forms a central part of the Milford Waterfront development, which aims to create a vibrant destination in Pembrokeshire. You can find out more about Milford Waterfront here

If you have any memories or photos of Milford Marina from the last 30 years, please contact Naomi Hunt at [email protected] or call the marina on 01646 696 312