The Welsh Development Agency has defended its call centre strategy following criticism of a new project in south Wales.

It has come under fire for ploughing nearly �3m into a scheme in Bridgend - before any new clients have been attracted to a state-of-the-art building in Pembrokeshire.

It is a key element of the regeneration of the town itself Bridgend council leader Jeff Jones

Work has already begun on the �2.8m WDA project in the town centre, on the site of a disused car park next to the home of Bridgend RFC.

When completed, it is hoped up to 300 call centre jobs will be created there.

But the agency has been criticised by people living in Pembroke Dock.

A state-of-the-art call centre there which had employed more than 1,000 people working for ITV Digital now lies empty.

Councillors say there is disbelief that the WDA is ploughing money into a new scheme before any replacement client has been attracted to Pembrokeshire.

Sue Perkins, a Labour councillor for Pembroke, said ordinary people could not understand why another centre was being built.

"It seems really silly to people locally," she said. "They don't really understand how you can build another call centre and leave this beautiful building empty.

ITV Digital was a major employer in Pembrokeshire

"I don't understand this 'call centres for different things'. It is a call centre, and all call centres can be adapted to take any form of business, I would have thought."

But the agency's head of internationally-traded services, Meurig Watts, said critics were not comparing like with like.

His opinion is that Wales needs a wide range of different types of call centre and says the WDA is committed to finding a long-term client for Pembroke Dock.

"The term 'call centre' is a loose term," he explained.

"Call centres actually serve a sector of activities which could cover a whole host of key functions, from major IT help desks through to customer relations, directory inquiries, utility activities, and everything between.

Jobs needed

"Certainly the skill sets of the two regions and the general environments could be completely different."

Jeff Jones, leader of Bridgend County Council, said the area was as much in need of jobs as Pembrokeshire.

"Bridgend was a market town and, as such, became rather run down," he said.

"What we like about this scheme is that it is right in the town centre. It will bring 300 to 400 jobs for people, and they can use public transport to access those jobs.

"When they are not working, they can shop in the town centre. So it is a key element of the regeneration of the town itself - it's not just a call centre."