Sir,

Re. Changes to car park charges in Tenby

We note with some disappointment the new scales of car park charges that have been introduced in Tenby.

Like many others, we are amazed that the county council has chosen to raise the annual charge of a reserved bay in the multi-storey from £97 to £350 and chosen to scrap the free parking in the upper levels of the multi-storey in the winter months.

This will hurt the local regular users most. Combined with the inevitable disruption that the construction works in Tudor Square will cause, it may be the final straw for some people and they may choose to go elsewhere.

It may also encourage some motorists that venture into Tenby to cruise the side streets in the hope of finding somewhere to tuck their car in; something that we believe the county council would be actively encouraging with these changes.

These are difficult times for the retail sector in small town centres everywhere, but exacerbated here in Tenby with the associated seasonality problems.

We feel the county council should be thinking of innovative ways to entice people to come to shop in Tenby.

With the decision to scrap the free parking in the upper floors in the winter we feel the county council has not given due consideration to the needs of the town as a commercial centre.

Tenby residents have a right to feel aggrieved with the parking rates they pay here when they compare the daily rates to park in Pembroke of £1, Haverfordwest of £1.30 to that of £1.80 in the multi- storey and £2 in North Beach in Tenby.

It is not as if the Tenby car parks are a premium product with lifts and CCTV coverage that provides effective security and prevents anti-social behaviour at night.

We also feel that the county council has missed an opportunity with this review to make the charges more 'user friendly'.  

In the past, we have asked for 24-hour tickets to be available in all car parks, not just the multi-storey, and transferable weekly tickets be available that would be valid for use in all council owned car parks in Tenby.

Both these facilities would be of great benefit to our visitors who after all are our customers.

We should be going out of our way to accommodate their needs and encouraging them to return.

Alistair Mackay,

Secretary,

Tenby Walled Town

Residents' Association.