Sir,
Pembrokeshire County Council congratulates itself in a press release on the success of its pedestrianisation scheme while a survey by the firm that has been appointed to run future park and ride schemes concentrates on the feasibility of New Hedges as the preferred car park and urges very urgent responses to its questions. This implies that major changes to Tenby for next summer are already advanced.
The argument against the scheme from within the town walls is that the unimaginative and draconian approach of banning all traffic movement within the walls for half of the working day and policing this with zero-tolerance has been uncivilised and has caused hardship to residents, businesses, the disabled and taxi drivers.
This has all been said before, but I would also like to question the transport department's power to change the character of Tenby. Was it they who invited drinking on the pavement at a time when so many cities are trying to ban it? Did they invite pubs to colonise the tarmac so that people could sit on garden furniture placed over the drains in order to eat and drink?
Perhaps they thought Tenby would feel continental? Indeed the sunshine did give it that air. However, there were no tablecloths (apart from The Lamb) and no olive oil, whilst a crazy plethora of vinegar bottles and salt pots suddenly gave Tenby the continental feeling of Torremolinas. Was the transport department's agenda traffic management or the creation of a great open-air arena for chip-eating which extended into residential streets?
How do the county council perceive the future of Tenby? Will they encourage a retail park in New Hedges which would harm Tenby's shops while encouraging pubs (and chips) to play an even higher profile role in the town - dominating not only at night but also by day?
And what about the community? Will they ever again be allowed proper access to their homes? Much of Tenby's charm is surely the number of well-maintained homes within the walls, so why is the county council trying to make life so uncomfortable for those who live in these? Is it trying to drive them out to make way for casinos, clubs, more pubs and more chips?
Tenby's two representatives on the county council both live outside the walls and have apparently been sharing the 'feel-good factor' with the strollers and diners. Assembly Member Christine Gwyther expressed surprise that neither was at the last meeting of the Walled Town Residents' Association, although Clr. Michael Williams had spent apologies.
Had they been there they would surely have been shaken by the very strong 'feel-bad factor' emitting from the majority of the assembled. I trust that they will do their duty and acknowledge this discontent and represent our feelings and our fears for the future to cabinet.
Marion Hutton,
Lexden House,
St Julian Street,
Tenby.