Tenby Town Council is to re-open the De Valence Pavilion for hire while discussions over its future are ongoing.

Since the pavilion reverted back into Tenby Town Council ownership following the liquidation of the De Valence Trust in May of last year, members of the council have been considering options for the building.

Marketed for expressions of interest since August of last year, the town council have been considering three options.

Two of the options involved the disposal of the building, one to a national pub chain and the other to a local tourist attraction seeking to expand its operation, while the third was to re-open the building for community use, possibly via the setting up of a new Trust.

The Observer has revealed in recent weeks that pub chain J. D. Wetherspoon are believed to be interested in acquiring the building, while the owners of Silent World Aquarium and Reptile Collection in Tenby have also been in discussions with the council about creating a state-of-the-art aquarium at the facility.

At their last meeting, the council felt both options for disposal of the building at present failed to adequately represent the level of investment return the domestic rate payers of Tenby, who fund the premises through their council tax, would expect and instructed their agent to ask both parties to reconsider the level of their offers.

"While revised offers were brought before the council at their meeting on Tuesday night, there were a number of legal issues that the council need to seek clarification on, which, until resolved, have resulted in any decision on the long-term future of the building being deferred," explained town clerk, Andrew Davies.

"However, in the interim, members have agreed that, in a bid to try and offset some of the running costs to help reduce the tax burden on the ratepayers of the town, and to provide a facility for community use, the building will be open for hire, subject to availability, as of April 1," he added.