A Tenby resident has spoken out against plans to illuminate part of the town's historic walls. The town council has been in discussion with Pembrokeshire County Council for some time to incorporate a scheme that would see part of the town walls on South Parade lit up. However, outline plans recently hit a snag when a bat survey carried out on the site discovered that the protected species may inhabit the walls. In a letter brought before councillors at their meeting on Tuesday evening, Trisha Putwain, of Bridge Street, expressed her concerns about the proposals, listing a number of reasons. "With stark warnings being given on all sides about the effects of climate change, and all countries being urged to conserve energy, it is irresponsible to waste electricity in this totally unnecessary way," she claimed. "Aesthetically, I am against further light pollution in principle, and I am also concerned about the visual impact of the lighting system during the daytime. Would the lighting units be similar to the ugly metal boxes surrounding Prince Albert's statue on Castle Hill? "Where would they be situated in an already crowded part of the town, and would they not pose an additional hazard for people to trip over?" continued Mrs. Putwain, who also stated that at least 11 people had brought the topic up in conversation with her and agreed with her opinions since she had a letter on the subject printed in the Observer. Responding to the letter, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, who originally suggested the idea to illuminate the walls, said that the council was not insensitive to the future of the planet. "Just because our town walls were built in the dark ages, it does not mean that we have to stay in the dark ages. "The town walls were built to protect the people within. It is now 2007 and we have to protect the future of tourism in our town. "Tourism is our only industry and we must not forget that we are a holiday resort and it is our duty to make our town as attractive as we can. We have the history, let's make sure Tenby has a future," continued Clr. Mrs. Lane. "It is lovely to hear that Mrs. Putwain is so approachable that 11 people have spoken to her on this issue. Being approachable is a very important part of being a councillor, maybe she would be interested in standing at the May elections next year," added Clr. Mrs. Lane. Her colleague, Mrs. Caroline Thomas, also agreed that the 'iconic' walls of the town should be lit up. "As councillors, it is our duty to listen to people who disagree with us, although no-one has personally approached me and made any unfavourable comments with regard to this possible scheme," she said, "We have discussed the light pollution concerns and any health and safety matters with county council officer, Melissa Howells, so all those issues have been taken into account by experts. "I cannot agree that the project should be abandoned; similar schemes have been of great benefit to other participating towns," added Clr. Mrs. Thomas.
