Haverfordwest Wilko lease decision due as repair costs rise
Pembrokeshire councillors are being asked to approve a lease for Haverfordwest’s former Wilko store after surveys found the building needed more extensive repairs than first expected. An extraordinary Cabinet meeting on Friday, 16 October, will consider an offer from an unnamed high street retailer for Unit 1 at Riverside Shopping Centre, also known as 2–6 Old Bridge. The meeting is scheduled for 9am at County Hall.
The proposed sequence, subject to approval and procurement
- Cabinet decision scheduled
- 16 October, 9am
- Tenant board approval valid until
- 31 October 2026
- Modelled tender release
- 23 October
- Contractor mobilisation forecast
- New year
A proposal, with a deadline
The retailer’s board has approved the proposed transaction until 31 October, according to the council report. The council must still complete an agreement for lease before refurbishment can begin. A subsequent lease would follow completion of the agreed works. The public documents do not identify the retailer or give an opening date. They do not confirm an agreement has been signed.
More work than expected
The expanded works include replacement of the lift and pitched roofs, work on windows, and repairs to or removal of a canopy on the western side. The specification has also been refined around the proposed occupier’s requirements. Officers want a further competition for the construction contract. The report models a tender release on 23 October, procurement completed in December and a contractor starting on site in the new year. That is a planned programme, subject to the decision and procurement, rather than a confirmed start date.
What the public paper does and does not cost
The council forecasts drawing £47,000 from the Riverside reserve in 2026–27 to meet increased costs caused by the unit being empty. That is a vacancy-related reserve draw, not the total refurbishment budget. The revised capital cost, lease terms and financial modelling are in restricted appendices. The public agenda asks Cabinet to consider excluding the public when those details are discussed. The main report is publicly available. Wilko closed the Haverfordwest store in September 2023. Officers recommend approving the lease and full works, but Friday’s decision is still to come.