A ban on vehicles entering Tenby's walled town for two months during the summer is to become a permanent feature. After several trial runs, Pembrokeshire County Council is to advertise a permanent traffic order to create pedestrianisation from 11 am until 5 pm during July and August on the basis of the experimental order used for the 2004 experiment. At Monday's cabinet meeting, councillors approved the scheme to improve pedestrian safety and the control of traffic and parking in the town centre. "Tenby Walled Town Residents Association welcomes the publication of a permanent order and the democratic process that comes with it," said chairman, Richard Walker, on behalf of the group. "In reality, however, this means that the order will not happen until 2006, so the county council will still be relying on the 2004 experimental order for the summer of 2005," continued Mr. Walker, who attended the meeting, along with Tenby' s two county councillors, Mike Evans and Michael Williams. "The association will monitor this very closely. We have always supported a pedestrian scheme, but have argued the guidelines for access. "Every year since 2002, we have highlighted many personal cases of members from within the walls who have particular difficulties and have suffered real hardship because of the restrictions. "These problems have led to amendments the following year to improving the access guidelines. "Ian Westley, the director of transport and the environment, came to an open meeting last September to listen to the problems thrown up by the 2004 experiment and said he would look at the issues raised. "We trust that remedies to all those problems can be found, from lifeboat volunteers answering a 'shout' to churchgoers trying to stay for all the 10 am service on a Sunday. "We are now working hard with our own county councillor, Mike Evans, to smooth the actual procedures for anyone needing to call their serviceline for 2005. "As John Davies, leader of the county council and chair of the cabinet meeting, referring to those living within the walls, said 'we must appreciate changes to daily patterns for residents for a long time'; we 'need to explore all avenues'." The association is now asking everyone outside the walls to try to understand the changes being put upon the lives of those within it. "This pedestrianisation scheme is breaking new ground," added Mr. Walker. "There is no precedent within the British Isles where residents are denied access to their homes for such a large part of the working day, even to load and unload. "The association is still working with the county council to produce a scheme acceptable to all. "At the meeting, Clr. Brian Hall stated that a 'Permanent Order' did not mean it cannot be changed if changes are needed."
