A message from the Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas

May I take this opportunity to say a happy New Year to everyone and thank you all for your goodwill messages to the council and I.

May I also thank you for the support you have given me in 2003.

The year 2004 looks like being one big adventure for Tenby as so many projects are about to come to fruition.

We are promised that the new Day Care Hospital will be ultra-modern and deal with many more aspects of your healthcare than our present facility.

A local group will be set-up to ensure that the beds proposed in a private sector facility will not only meet, but exceed our expectation.

The new Lifeboat Station is becoming more and more of an important new feature for Tenby, enhancing the important work of the RNLI.

The environment and heritage group of Tenby 2020 are taking advantage of this exciting new development to seek funding for the upgrading of Castle Hill and the surrounding cliffs. Maybe they will not be able to undertake the work this year, but it is an important start.

Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority are working with the Town Council and others to make a start on the long-awaited High Street improvements, while the county council is also looking at ways to make our multi-storey car park and its environs more welcoming.

The De Valence Trust, the skateboard and BMX park and other projects also make for exciting times ahead for Tenby, and by working together our beautiful town can only develop for the benefit of both residents and visitors alike.

May I again take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2004.

A message from the Mayor of Narberth, Clr. Mrs. Sue Rees

The Narberth calendar has many events throughout the year, and 2003 was no exception.

Old faithfuls like Civic Week, inconceivably, better than ever, and the Winter Carnival, despite the weather, another triumph. New events like the Christmas Festival, which will continue through January, was another huge success, as well as many other events taking place which catered for every conceivable taste. I would like to thank the Observer for their support in publicising these events.

There has been something on almost every week this year, and this was only achieved by a great deal of hard work on the part of a small band of dedicated, diligent people, with Narberth in their hearts.

I cannot name them all, I may not know who they are, but I offer my whole-hearted support. They know who they are, and I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart, as I know everyone in Narberth does.

Without people like them who will selflessly give precious time to their community, without thought of payment or reward, Narberth would not be the place it is today.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I would like to wish them all a happy and peaceful New Year.

A message from the Mayor of Whitland,

Clr. Ron Jenkins MBE

As Mayor of Whitland, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all residents of the town a happy and prosperous New Year.

I am sure that the year ahead will be a very exciting one, with new plans for the old milk factory going ahead, in addition to the changes to St. John Street compan.

I am certain that Whitland will become a growth town once again.

On behalf of Jean and myself may we wish you all a healthy New Year.

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda i Pawb.

A message from the Chairman of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, Clr. Stephen Watkins

One of the highlights for me in what has been a momentous year for the National Park Authority was my involvement with the coast path relay walk in July.

This was a very special sequence which involved all the community councils whose areas include parts of the coast path national trail. I was in at the beginning - walking the first section from Poppit Sands to Ceibwr - and at the end 23 days later when we finished on the county boundary at Amroth.

The communities supported the event - to mark the 50th anniversary of the designation of the coast path - with great enthusiasm and we are grateful to all those involved.

I hope that the community representatives walking their own 'patches' got as much out of the event as we certainly did. The end of walk reception at Amroth, hosted by Amroth Community Council, was a very special occasion to end a unique event.

The coast path is one of 18 national trails in Britain and it is among Wales' 'flagship' destinations. What better way to see, experience and enjoy Pembrokeshire than by walking the coast path? It's contribution to local tourism is vital - it is conservatively estimated that the coast path annually brings in £14 million to the county economy.

In the past year the National Park has had its fair share of headlines, not least over the very complex and high profile Bluestone Development.

This has been one of the most involved and difficult decisions we as authority members have ever had to make, in the glare of intense scrutiny and pressure.

Much has been made of the length of time it has taken the authority to reach a conclusion. It must be said that we were held up at various stages by the lack of vital information, the last of this only arriving with us at the end of October, allowing the authority to fully consider the application on December 8.

Throughout what has been a very complicated process Park officers always strove to deal with the application in a professional and fair way and provided members with a very balanced report to consider.

Tenby, too, has hit the headlines - over its summer pedestrianisation scheme. We worked closely with Pembrokeshire County Council over this and also extended our very popular 'park and ride' service - the operating period running from early July to the end of August.

The response to park and ride was terrific with over 61,000 people carried. In the six weeks of high summer - the period operated previously - 54,137 passengers took advantage of the service, a remarkable 37 per cent up on the previous year.

It is estimated that 15,000 cars were taken off Tenby's streets thanks to the success of the authority's 'park and ride'.

Another success story has been the Historic Town Scheme Partnership Grants run jointly by the National Park and Cadw.

Town schemes were pioneered at Tenby where, since 1989, over 200 properties have been grant aided, generating over £3 million worth of building work. A similar scheme at Saundersfoot began in 1994 and grants are available for both domestic and commercial properties.

This coming year will see the National Park Authority complete its planned move of headquarters to Llanion Park, Pembroke Dock, which overlooks the Haven.

The move from Haverfordwest, our base of 50 years, will bring many challenges to the authority - physically and culturally; how we work with our communities; how we use the buildings sustainably, and for all our staff. We look forward to embracing all the opportunities that the move creates.

I wish all readers of the Tenby Observer a happy, healthy and successful New Year.

A message from the Chairman of Pembrokeshire County Council, Clr. Mickey Folland

In his corresponding message on this page 12 months ago, my predecessor, Clr. Leslie Raymond, said his thoughts were with those who had recently lost their jobs. Some - employed at the Customer Contact Centre in Pembroke Dock - had been laid off twice in the year, he recalled.

As 2003 draws to a close, I am delighted to say that a number of jobs have returned to the Cleddau Bridge Business Park through the relocation of the Department of Works and Pensions and the Friday Ad newspaper.

More good news is that Pembrokeshire is now attracting fresh investment, with local businesses expanding and new projects being introduced to the county.

Some examples are:

• the £45 million Bluestone project

• the billion pound LNG projects on two sites on the Milford Haven waterway

• a new four-star hotel in the Dockyard, Pembroke Dock

• the £10 million scheme for a 540-berth marina at Fishguard

The county council's economic development unit tells me that Pembrokeshire continues to maintain its premier position among the 'business start-up' hotspots of Britain.

Barclays Bank's Small Business Survey ranked Pembrokeshire third in the first quarter of the year, first in the second quarter and third again in the third quarter. Pembrokeshire was the only local authority area to appear in the first three in every quarter.

Such was the variation in other parts of the country that no other authority appeared in the top five across all three quarters and only four other authority areas made the top 10 in every quarter.

But it is not just for 'start-ups' that Pembrokeshire excels.

The Simon Safety and Lifting Centre at Honeyborough has recorded a 344.5 per cent increase in turnover over a two-year period and appears 10th in the list of the growth businesses in Wales.

Taken together, this is clear evidence that the Pembrokeshire economy is developing. Further proof, if needed, is the low level of unemployment recorded over the past few months when local jobless figures have matched, or been close to, the Welsh average for the first time in many years.

The prospects for 2004 are heartening. Let us hope that my successor has equally good news to report in his seasonal message next year.

May I wish you all a happy, prosperous and peaceful New Year.