A resident in Tenby has voiced concerns over what they’ve described as ‘inconsiderate and selfish’ parking by members of Tenby Male Choir which they warn could lead to an accident.

The person who did not wish to be named told the Observer that they have reported the matter to local police and Pembrokeshire County Council’s traffic enforcement team in the past, flagging up the fact that choir members who use the County Club on The Croft every Tuesday and Thursday evening for rehearsals are ‘clogging-up’ the street by parking ‘carelessly’ along the double yellow lines.

“This is an issue that has been ongoing for some time now, and on some occasions you can find up to 10 cars parked along The Croft for three or more hours of an evening when the choir are rehearsing,” stated the complainant.

“Vehicles are parking on double yellows on both sides of the road at times, therefore giving no chance for other vehicles to give way as such - and thus causing an obstruction which police officers can be tasked with booking in instances such as this.

“Some years ago PCC’s parking enforcement officers had a purge on these vehicles belonging to choristers during one evening, and then all of a sudden, they miraculously started displaying Blue Badges to try and get around the matter!

“Ironically, some vehicles are so carelessly parked that they mount the pavement on occasions on the North Beach side, which is a very narrow footpath, making it impossible for someone in a wheelchair to actually pass through.

“The Croft is a busy road, leading to two hotels, various guest houses, holiday lets, two camp sites, as well as a wealth of residential properties, and the volume of vehicles parking up on the double yellows has caused havoc on that street, especially during busy holiday periods.

“As the street becomes rather narrow, there is a danger that large vehicles are struggling to get through, and concerns raised that a fire engine as such would have an issue getting through.

“One of the members really took the biscuit last week though by actually parking in between two roadwork signs warning motorists of works taking place along the street, therefore blocking the signage on display.

“The police and council must act and treat this area as a hot spot before an accident occurs involving a vehicle or pedestrian due to this inconsiderate parking.

“Visibility along that area is not the best for motorists during the winter period, as next to the seafront, nights that are wet and misty call for extra vigilance for drivers - so it does not help when rows of cars are parked along there clogging-up the street!

“We all know that parking in Tenby is a problem - but if this kind of irresponsible parking was occurring on a street in the centre of the town then there would be uproar and something would be done about it - so why should people living on the outskirts of the town centre have to put up with it!” they added.

An officer from the Tenby Neighbourhood Policing Team that had been liaising with the choir after the matter arose last year stated that choir members had been ‘courteously asked to refrain’ from parking on double yellow lines on The Croft; and suggested that perhaps consideration could be given to lift sharing, utilising the parking facilities in Gas Lane or further up The Croft away from the hotels and residences.

“Any further instances may result in enforcement action,” explained the officer.

The choir’s chairman Geoff Horton-Jones responded this week by stating that he was not aware of any occasion where emergency vehicles had been impeded in any way in their use of the Croft, and that members of Tenby Male Choir were fully aware of the issues regarding emergency access along the full length of the street.