A retrospective application for a pole with CCTV cameras in the gardens of a Tenby hotel has been refused by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park's development management committee. The owners of The Atlantic Hotel on The Esplanade had erected the CCTV pole in their gardens opposite, not realising that planning permission was required. The applicants pointed out to National Park officers that the local police regularly used the CCTV system to help assist with incidents such as missing persons or acts of vandalism that had taken place in the hotel's garden. However, despite proposals to try to conceal the mast by growing more trees, committee members felt that a precedent would be set if they allowed the pole to remain. "Not so long ago we were at the point of taking enforcement action to get a similar CCTV mast removed from St. Julian's Terrace, so we can't justify approving a mast in this area, which is so visually important to Tenby," commented Clr. Michael Williams. The application was refused, with officers set to go back to the applicants to discuss further options which could see a security system installed on the hotel itself.
