The outskirts of Saundersfoot being bombarded with branded takeaway packaging littering roads, walkways and hedgerows leading into the seaside village, needs a concerted effort to tackle the issue, a local county councillor has stated.

County councillor for the south ward, Cllr Chris Williams said that one walk he embarked on recently around the locality, saw enough general rubbish and waste collected to fill four full bags.

“During June, I took an early morning walk along the Ridgeway, up Fan Road to the Pentlepoir junction, and back down past St Issell’s Church,” said Cllr Williams.

“On that one walk alone, I collected enough rubbish to fill four full bags. The waste included takeaway containers, tin cans, vapes, cycling gels, and various other litter.

“Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated issue. It’s something that is becoming increasingly noticeable, not just to me, but to other volunteers who regularly pick up litter in our community.

“In particular, there’s a clear pattern developing. As you drive out of the village along the Ridgeway toward Pentlepoir, you’ll often see locally branded takeaway packaging dumped along the roadside.

“Conversely, when driving back into the village, it’s McDonald’s and KFC packaging that’s most commonly discarded, clearly thrown out of car windows by people returning home,” he continued.

“Frankly, it’s hard to understand the mindset behind this. Why some people think it’s more important to keep their car clean than the environment they live in is beyond me.

“It shows a complete disregard not just for our surroundings, but for the efforts of so many who take pride in keeping our community clean and welcoming.

“I fully appreciate that this is not a problem unique to our area. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing, especially for the individuals and groups who consistently go above and beyond to maintain the cleanliness and beauty of our hedgerows, footpaths, and villages.

“This needs to be addressed, whether through better enforcement, stronger public messaging, or direct engagement with local businesses contributing to the problem.

“We must look at practical steps to reduce this behaviour. Our community deserves better.”

Cllr Williams also pointed towards a waste issue locally that has raised significant concern among both residents and local businesses.

He said that the matter had been ongoing for several months and had understandably caused frustration with many licenced premises; going onto sayd that the enforcement team from Pembrokeshire County Council had been actively involved in addressing these concerns, and following a recent visit, there had been a noticeable improvement in the situation.

“The issue will continue to be monitored closely, particularly by those who initially raised the concerns, to ensure that standards are maintained. With continued cooperation and oversight, we hope that the recent enforcement engagement by PCC has resolved the core problems and will prevent them from recurring and impacting other businesses in close proximity,” he stated.

Cllr Williams also shared news of litter picks recently conducted by ‘Saundersfoot Wombles’ where numerous volunteers collected 28.9kg of litter and 9kg of beach clean during June.