Consultations are currently taking place on a project to celebrate Saundersfoot village’s coal mining heritage.

Saundersfoot Community Council have been approached by SMELT (a group funded by Saundersfoot Festivities and chaired by county councillor for the seaside village’s south ward Cllr Chris Williams) who would like to use a part of the Sensory Garden (currently filled in with wild flowers) facing the Harbour, to make a permanent display to celebrate the village’s coal mining heritage.

The trucks will be cast iron, and the 'coal' will be made of fibreglass. Information boards will also be installed at the front.

Saundersfoot’s Sensory Garden which sits next to the harbour, was together with the Coal Office building built in 1860 - the operations centre of the coal industry in the area, with a coal mine at Bonville’s Court on top of the hill at the village.

The original coal trucks would have been carrying coal to the ships in the harbour and are roughly 3 metres away from the original tracks that coal was carried on.

A wide range of local groups have written to the Community Council in support of the proposal. After a two week public consultation, on July 20, members of the Community Council will decide whether to move onto the next stage which would be to apply for planning permission.

A number of groups in the village support this initiative, including - Saundersfoot Harbour, the Love Saundersfoot team, Wiseman's Bridge Rowing Club, Saundersfoot Rotary, Saundersfoot Bay Heritage Regeneration Trust and Saundersfoot in Bloom.

“We would like to know what you think. And if the consultation is overall positive we will progress with a planning application in a couple of weeks,” said a spokesperson for Saundersfoot Community Council.

“A committee was set up over a year ago and is working closely with Saundersfoot Community Council to develop a Coal Truck Project for the village,” Cllr Williams stated last month.

“This initiative aims to honor Saundersfoot’s rich coal mining heritage and illustrate how the village has grown and developed through the years. This project is intended to become a lasting and meaningful monument for the whole community to see and take pride in.

“A significant amount of work has already been completed, and we are now approaching the exciting stage of engaging with local residents and presenting the project publicly in July, providing we have completed all the necessary jobs.

“I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank both of our village’s historical groups for their invaluable input, as well as the volunteer members of the committee who have dedicated their time and passion to bringing this vision closer to reality,” he continued.

Cllr Williams previously stated that the project had been a long time in the planning stage and having so many organisations working together to make it happen, was testimony of the community spirit that Saundersfoot is renowned for.

For more information, and to give the Community Council your vote, please head to the website here: https://www.saundersfoot-cc.gov.wales/coal-trucks