Pembrokeshire County Council has welcomed the announcement in the Chancellor's autumn statement that designated sites within the Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone will be eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowances.

The move is designed to make selected parts of the enterprise zone more attractive for large scale investment projects.

The county council's cabinet member for economy, tourism and communities, Clr. David Pugh, described it as "very good news for Pembrokeshire."

He went on: "There are seven enterprise zones in Wales, but we are one of only three where this extra incentive for investment is available.

"The benefits of the enterprise zone are becoming clearer and there will be spin-off benefits for businesses and residents inside and outside the Zone."

Clr. Pugh said the seven enterprise zones are set to be priority areas for the introduction of next generation broadband and that BT was upgrading their infrastructure to bring the so called 'fibre-to-the-cabinet' technology into Pembrokeshire.

He explained: "This will increase broadband speeds to around 30 mb per second. Businesses wanting higher bandwidth will be able to buy improved services such as fibre-to-the-premises which offer around 100 mb per second."

Eligible small and medium sized enterprises that are located within the enterprise zone and are investing and creating new permanent full time jobs will qualify for a grant that equates to the business rates paid.

Clr. Pugh added: "The enterprise zone will now bring a range of benefits that will encourage investment from small as well as large businesses."

Anyone requiring further information about the opportunities for their business should contact the county council's business support team based in the Bridge Innovation Centre on the Pembrokeshire Science and Technology Park in Pembroke Dock (tel. 01646 689200).