Tenby is facing a triple whammy of high business rates, poor parking and a halt in development, a business brainstorm has heard.

The meeting was organised by South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns and attended by Tenby Chamber of Trade and Tourism, the National Park Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Town Council. 

Also present were representatives from a range of shops and businesses, including a guesthouse, a garage, the local newspaper, a jeweller, a bookshop, a clothes shop and a sweetshop.

"They were able to tell the council and National Park Authority, face to face, how these problems are affecting them," said Mrs. Burns. 

"We discussed a lot of the issues and we also came up with some positive action points to try to improve the situation."

The biggest concerns that were voiced were problems with parking and the appearance of the multi-storey car park, the redevelopment of sites, including the Gatehouse and the former magistrates court, and the high level of rates.

"What is apparent is that we need to have an holistic approach to solving Tenby's problems," said Conservative Parliamentary candidate Simon Hart, who also attended the meeting.

"We can't solve any of these problems in isolation, we need to look at a jigsaw approach."

The future of the Gatehouse site was discussed, with traders wanting the rubble cleared and The Norton pavement re-opened urgently.

"It's got to be cleared up by the summer," said Pink Cat shop owner, Julius Rhys Davies.

After the meeting, Nic Wheeler, chief executive of the National Park, said that the feedback had been valuable, but that he couldn't make any guarantees. 

"It's important that we had people from a wide range of businesses and that they put their thoughts on the table, but we have also got to be realistic," he said.

"Nothing is worse than making promises that we can't deliver, a dose of realism is important. As custodians of public money, we have to look at the longer term view and be responsible with money."

He is now pressing to get work restarted on a number of redevelopments that have ground to a halt.

"The more work that people can see going on, the greater confidence there is," he added.

Chris Osborne, owner of the Fourcroft Hotel where the meeting was held and vice-president of the Chamber of Trade and Tourism, said: "We need to keep the pressure on them to make sure they do these things."

Mrs. Burns is now arranging meetings in the Welsh Assembly to look into the level of rates in the town and access to heritage grants.

"This was a very good starting point and we now need to get the whole community involved in regenerating the town," she added.