Sir,
Can I be among the first to congratulate Pembrokeshire County Council's press officer on the wording of his press release on the results of the council's questionnaire on pedestrianisation?
To paraphrase, 'More detailed results would be available (at) a meeting of local citizen groups on November 1.'
I hope I am not spoiling the suspense here by suggesting that these 'more detailed results' might reflect the facts that anyone who used the 'helpline' found it less than helpful, and that residents within the walled town found the experiment more than a nuisance. These may be 'details,' but they are not more of a detail than analysing how the experiment affected people's trips into town. And they will be released to a very small, select group. This is 'spin' of the highest order. Well done.
I am sure that no-one could put words into the mouth of Clr. Brian Hall, not even PCC's press officer. He says: 'It is understood that some of these groups may have conducted their own surveys on the subject, but there is little doubt that everyone agrees that there is a need to improve the traffic situation in Tenby.'
It's the use of that conjunctive word 'but,' that's problematic. It implies conflict. One of the groups that has conducted its own survey is Tenby Walled Town Residents' Association (as Clr. Hall well knows) and they have indeed highlighted that there is a need to improve the traffic situation in Tenby. If you replace 'but' with 'and' it puts a different, but more accurate, reflection on the situation.
Martin Lamb,
2 Rock House,
St. Julian's Street,
Tenby.