Councillors in Saundersfoot have discussed Pembrokeshire County Council’s ongoing ‘active travel’ plans for the seaside village, and what impact the next phase could potentially have on the Sensory Garden.

At the most recent meeting of Saundersfoot Community Council, discussions centred around proposals for a ‘Multi-Use Path’ connecting Cambrian Terrace with The Strand.

PCC Highways Officers were present to outline their proposals, including widening the narrow pavement on the harbour side of Cambrian Terrace (from the harbour entrance to The Strand); with the idea to make it easier and safer for people with disabilities, older people, children and pedestrians, while promoting healthy living.

Officers presented the overall aspiration and reasoning behind the Active Travel proposals and impact on the Sensory Garden. Also that there were potential Welsh Government funds to widen the narrow footpath on the harbour side of the Terrace, from the harbour entrance road to the corner of the Strand.

To get funding, though, the path would need to be ‘multi-use’ for both pedestrians and cyclists (with pedestrians having priority); and to make it wide enough, they’d need to move the Sensory Garden wall back by up to 2.5 metres.

Officers pointed out their plan was that all the parking spaces at the opposite side of the road remain.

After lengthy discussions on the proposals, with both Councillors and members of the public asking detailed questions; Community Council Chair Cllr Alec Cormack summarised the almost unanimous opinion of attendees that:

• This section of pavement is too busy to be safely shared between cyclists and pedestrians, even if cyclists did respect that pedestrians always had right of way.

• The loss of up to 2.5m of land from the Sensory Garden would severely reduce the space in the garden, which is a well loved resource in the village that has resulted from many years of hard work by volunteers and the Community Council. Losing so much space could only be considered if there was a clear and unambiguous majority in the village for the proposal.

Ultimately there was no vote on the proposal at the meeting - but the Chair stated his view that in order for it to be considered at a future meeting, there would have to be public consultation on this single specific proposal, with residents asked if they think the benefit of the multi-use path was worth the loss of land in the Sensory Garden.

Although there had been consultation in 2024 it was on many different topics and the Chair felt it was vital that a clear majority for this proposal alone is demonstrated.

The Chair thanked PCC officers for their time and assured them that if they wish to proceed with a consultation, the Community Council would facilitate this by promoting it.

The Chair also echoed the opinion, expressed several times during the discussion, that enabling a cycle route through the harbour car park was preferable to the multi-use path and he undertook to follow this up with the Harbour’s Chief Executive.