An un-named Pembrokeshire County Councillor has come under fire from Tenby Town Council this week for condemning their stance against plans to earmark land at New Hedges for a supermarket.

The supermarket idea came to light in the Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority 's proposed joint unitary development plan for Pembrokeshire (JUDP).

The plan identified nearly 24 hectares of land at New Hedges as suitable for a business park, which would include a supermarket, car park and park and ride facility, to serve the needs of south-eastern Pembrokeshire.

The idea was slammed by Tenby Town Council just before Christmas amid fears that a supermarket could sound the death knell for the livelihood of town centre shops, both in Tenby and neighbouring Saundersfoot.

The council were also concerned about plans to reduce the existing boundaries of the town centre of Tenby, to exclude Francis Yard and areas of The Norton.

In view of these concerns, Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown, arranged for a meeting to be held between council and National Park officers and representatives of Tenby, Saundersfoot, St. Mary Out Liberty and Penally councils.

The meeting, she told fellow members of the town council on Tuesday night, had been held at County Hall on Monday morning.

"However, I was disappointed to learn this afternoon that this morning's meeting of the county council's planning committee had agreed to adopt the JUDP," she said.

"What we now have to do is await the outcome of the National Park's meeting on the JUDP before it goes out on public deposit for comment."

While he, too, was disappointed by the news, Clr. Andrew Rees was angered by comments apparently made by one county councillor - who he did not name - at that morning's meeting.

"I know it is only hearsay, but one councillor is said to have described us as a 'Soviet' because we are always saying 'niet'," he claimed.

"If that councillor would care to look up 'soviet' in the dictionary it will state 'an elected council of the people'.

"If this councillor thinks that all town and community councils in Pembrokeshire should rubber stamp all the ideas coming out of County Hall, then that councillor is wrong," Clr. Rees continued.

"We are here to represent the people and I don't like the idea of us being accused of continually saying no."

Clr. Rees, who had attended the meeting with officers at County Hall with the Mayor, added that he was also upset that the planning meeting had "decried the work of Tenby 2020."

"They have a lot of good ideas for the town, including the development of Francis Yard, which from my understanding have now been kicked into touch.

"That councillor should apologise to us for those sort of comments."

Clr. Mickey Folland agreed that town and community councils were the 'grass roots' of local politics.

"Look around this table and you will find a diverse group of people all elected to represent the views of the citizens of this town.

"We are the ones that get stopped on the street every day and we have a right to express the opinions of our electorate," he said.

However, Clr. Folland, who was not a member of the county council's planning committee, added that the town council could not act on hearsay.

"I think we should wait to see reports of the meeting in the press before we look at making any formal complaint over any councillor's comments," he opined.

Clr. Philip Crockford added that he was angry that the county council could 'rubber stamp' a proposal that had not been consulted upon prior to its inclusion in the JUDP.