A petition has been launched as part of a campaign to preserve one of Saundersfoot's historic buildings. Hundreds of people have already signed the Save our Barbecue Building petitions calling for the harbourside property to be retained as a tourist information and heritage centre. The petitions have been organised by the recently renewed Saundersfoot Forum, which is a culmination of last year's visioning exercise regarding the future of Saundersfoot, organised by PLANED. The petitions will be presented to Pembrokeshire County Council, who are currently deciding whether or not to sell the building. This petition follows one previously sent to the local authority by Saundersfoot Historical Society, also urging the council to retain the landmark as a combined museum/heritage centre and tourist information centre. The fight is also fuelled by the current Saundersfoot Action Plan and its proposal to 'agree a site for, and support the development of, a heritage and exhibition centre', for which it is believed the Barbecue building will be an ideal venue for this facility and the continuation of the TIC. But the fight to save the building is proving controversial. Explained Tessa Pearson, chair of the Saundersfoot Forum: "When the front of the Barbecue (fronting Cambrian Terrace) was sold, the money, according to PCC council minutes, was to be used to build a new tourist information centre on the adjoining land. However, this has not been allowed as it is a conservation area; therefore, strictly speaking, the money should be used to renovate the Barbecue as a TIC." Furthermore, Mrs. Pearson continued: "When South Pembrokeshire District Council owned the building - prior to reorganisation and becoming PCC - a £500,000 development scheme was given the go- ahead by the district councillors (1995). Whatever happened to that agreement? "The harbour area was originally left 'in perpetuity, for the village', by Lord Merthyr - a fact remembered by many locals. This accounts for their very real anxiety that the Barbecue will be sold privately to a developer and all the industrial history lost." Mrs. Pearson added: "The Coal Office/Barbecue is an iconic, irreplaceable piece of the village's history and must remain for the benefit of the village." A 'potted history' of Saundersfoot's coal mining past has been sent to the new director of development at Pembrokeshire County Council, Dr. Stephen Jones, to make him aware of the situation. Added Mrs. Pearson: "He has acknowledged the historical society's petition, so we hope that the 300/400 new signatures should serve to reinforce local feeling on the subject. "We must get our heritage centre and preserve the coal office!" concluded Mrs. Pearson. Among those to sign the petition this week was Rev. Dr. Martin Connop Price, author of 'Industrial Saundersfoot and Pembrokeshire: The Forgotten Coalfield'. He said: "Every photograph you ever see of Saundersfoot Harbour features the Barbecue building. It represents the history and heritage of Saundersfoot. The building is highly symbolic of how Saundersfoot came about and an awful lot more could be made of it." The petitions are at village shops and businesses.