Tenby councillors have given positive feedback to a project for the enhancement of the town's Tudor Square, after they were able to view initial concept designs for the scheme at a presentation this week.
Pembrokeshire County Council have commissioned Capita Symonds, one of the UK's largest and most diverse multidisciplinary consultancies operating in the building design, civil engineering, environment, management and transport sectors, to design and project manage a scheme of regeneration within the centre of Tenby's walled town.
The aim of the project, say the company, is to create a high quality civic space that is contemporary in concept, but sympathetic to the conservation status of the site, stimulating the local economic development potential of the town centre.
The county council's head of highways and construction, Mr. Darren Thomas, explained to members of Tenby Town Council at a presentation on Tuesday evening that the project would be seen as a continuation of the enhancement work that had already been completed in Tenby's High Street over the past few years.
He stressed that the plans for the next phase were initial concept drawings and certainly not the final scheme, but that the project officers had come to the town council as the first port of call to gain valuable feedback on the ideas.
The initial concept designs have also incorporated the return of the Dyster Memorial Fountain to Tudor Square, relocated on a plinth with a stepped edge, near to where the landmark was originally located.
Stewart Smith and Greg Vaughan, project managers for the scheme from Capita Symonds, explained that a number of constraints had to be taken into account such as traffic management and lighting issues. They also had to be mindful of the various planning matters involving listed buildings and were aware that it was a sensitive maritime as well as historical site that they were dealing with within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
"With the cluster of pubs and restaurants situated in the area, the scheme will seek to establish and maximise areas for café culture, while also looking to offer controlled parking zones," said Mr. Vaughan.
The design of the scheme aims to create shared spaces throughout the Square, with the surfaces flush throughout, using pennant stone blocks to define the carriageway and paving, with bands of lighter paving blocks incorporated to provide rhythm and emphasise enclosing architecture.
"This style of scheme has been deployed to positive effect in Abergavenny recently and also takes into account the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), with no trip hazards," explained Mr. Smith, who also said that they would be running a programme to demonstrate that vehicles could turn around in Tudor Square without it being hazardous.
Clr. Mike Evans told the project managers, that vehicle access was very important to the town for businesses and residents all year round, even though for seven weeks of the year the centre was pedestrianised for a period, while Clr. Mrs. Trisha Putwain asked if some sort of trial could be carried out using bollards for a period just to see how vehicles would cope turning around in the area, if it had no kerbs to differentiate between the pedestrian footpaths and roads.
Clr. Mike Thorne welcomed where the Dyster Fountain had been situated, but emphasised the need to protect it from lorries turning, while Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, wanted to see it reintroduced as a fully working feature with water.
The project managers said that they would leave the plans and drawing designs on boards at the town council offices in the De Valence for viewing over the next few days, along with feedback sheets to collate comments.
The county council's senior engineer and project manager, Rob Hamer, said that the project would ideally start construction during autumn of this year.
"The design is at an early stage and will evolve following detailed discussion with all key stakeholders over the next few months. Seeking the views from the town council was the first step in this process," he added.