Saundersfoot has been awarded £4 million funding to transform the village and harbour area into a ‘marine gateway to Wales’.

The EU funding, which was announced last week (November 1), will see ambitious plans to build a new marine centre of excellence and coastal storm centre, along with a state-of-the-art heritage and arts centre and a coastal schooner experience at Saundersfoot, turning it into an international coastal centre.

Work has already been completed on a brand new national events deck which formed phase one of the plans, with a new 4,000-seater amphitheatre unveiled on the harbour in September. A new slipway, sea wall and boat racking system have also been introduced.

The Saundersfoot Harbour Commission will now press on with plans to start phase two.

“We’ve seen a big increase in footfall to the area since the completion of the earlier developments, and we look forward to bringing something completely new and different to visitors and locals alike,” said Bradley Davies, commercial manager of Saundersfoot Harbour.

The EU funding is being invested through the Welsh Government’s Tourism Attractor Destination programme, led by Visit Wales.

Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport Lord Elis-Thomas who visited the village to make the announcement said: “Our aim through the Tourism Attractor Destination programme is to focus efforts and investment on key projects in each region so we have a real impact on Wales’ profile in this globally competitive market, this represents a huge funding boost for the sector, which will make a real difference to the products and experiences that Wales has to offer.”