The developers of the Gatehouse scheme in Tenby have told the town council that work on the project should start early next year.

Representing the developers, Simon Fry told members ahead of their meeting on Tuesday night, that they had made a huge amount of progress on the multi-million pound scheme since members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's development management committee unanimously approved the plans back in March.

Mr. Fry explained that they were now in the process of finalising the tenders for the project and they hoped that work on the first phase of the development would begin early next year.

"Hopefully, we're not too far off commencement. It has taken a lot longer than any of us anticipated to get where we are, but a significant amount of work has gone on in the last six months since the plans were approved, and it has taken a bit of time as we've been making sure that all the schemes comply with the planning consent," said Mr. Fry, who also told councillors that he was very confident that finance for the project would be available after positive discussions.

Mr. Fry also explained that the developers had been liaising quite closely with the local authority so that work could take place around key seasonal dates once the scheme started.

"We anticipate work on the Gatehouse site starting first and then the other aspects of the development, like the Delphi, to follow on, with the whole scheme taking in the region of two years to complete," continued Mr. Fry, who also emphasised that it was important to make sure that local tradesmen and businesses were involved in the development.

Responding to criticism received over the poor state of the hoardings surrounding the site of the former Gatehouse Hotel and the derelict condition of premises in Upper Park Road that were forming part of the scheme, Mr. Fry apologised for the eyesore that the boundaries had caused, but they were there for health and safety reasons, and it hadn't been the intention of the developers to have them erected for such a long period, but the delay in the work starting had been longer than anticipated.

Clr. Mike Evans urged Mr. Fry and the developers to do something about the standard of the hoardings as their appearance was having a detrimental effect on businesses in that area of the town.

"A little bit of TLC for that site and the Park Road buildings would really help the town," said Clr. Evans.

"It might be a minor point in relation to the overall scheme, but it's a major point to those who walk by it and those who have businesses in that area.

"We've always supported the development as a town council, and we need it to happen for Tenby with the benefits that it will bring," he added.

Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter said that Mr. Fry's update on the development was "very encouraging," while Mayor, Clr. Trevor Hallett, thanked him for the progress update.