Sir, Tenby is a place of unsurpassed natural beauty. Few would deny that, so why is it that the columns of this paper frequently carry such negative remarks? The answer is perhaps to use the analogy of a vintage Aston Martin motor car. Everyone has heard of it, can recognise photographs of it and cannot fail to be impressed by its beautiful lines; but when this particular model is inspected at first hand it does not live up to expectations. It is no use asking people to just come and admire the classic shape and be dazzled by shiny paintwork on parts of the car if the remainder is unwashed, the doors are scratched and the wing dented. What visitors will remember is the overall impression and the eye will always notice the negative aspects, no matter how much effort is put into promoting the polished bits. Ownership of a classic motor car carries with it responsibilities, beyond that of an average day to day car, and the owner is obliged to ensure that both it and its image is well maintained and will be around to be cherished by future generations. My point is that Tenby is being let down by those who are responsible for ensuring that it lives up to its national publicity. Decades of under-investment in Tenby combined with a rise in people's expectations have left the image that remains in a visitor's memory sadly falling well short of its potential. The responsibility lies squarely at the door of the county council - they are responsible for the funding of its upkeep and maintenance of the public open spaces; the now critical lack of investment will take a massive injection of funds just to catch up. The problem is that familiarity with an area conditions local people into accepting the present state of affairs and after a while the eyesores simply do not register. You can be sure they do with visitors. Can readers remember Chris Warren's letter and photographs last June that highlighted some of the more obvious examples of neglect in Tenby? It prompted a flurry of embarrassed action from the council and it hit a chord with residents and visitors alike and follow-up letters with headlines such as 'Tenby Jewel has lost its sparkle', 'Council letting us down', 'Overgrown cliffs a disgrace' and 'Stunning view blocked'. I consider all the council has done since then is to paper over a few cracks and has done nothing to solve the problem in the long term. I invite readers to witness the problems that still exist for themselves: the overgrown North Cliff from the sailing club around as far as the beautiful tended private gardens in front of the Fourcroft. Here a few specimen trees are struggling to compete with rampant weeds, brambles and self-seeded trees, all that grow unchecked. This combined with a tired looking and rusty shelter and unsympathetic cliff stabilisation work does nothing to enhance this prime area. This is not the only place where neglect is rife. Take a walk up to the Museum and round to the bandstand (that is now in need of a coat of paint). You will be faced with the same wilderness as on the North Cliff and hand railings that shout out "This council doesn't care a damn". The list could go on and on: witness the rusty benches on the path at Sandy Gate down to the Castle Beach or the scruffy look of the paths down to South Beach by the Fountains Cafe. Remember, these are not examples of neglect in some backwater of Tenby, but in its prime and most photographed locations. My question is what will it take to stir the council into action? They do not appear to have a planned maintenance programme and seem to prefer to work on crisis management. Sadly, I don't know the answer and this letter, like so many before it, will probably fail to prompt any action to solve the problem. Clearly the council are not embarrassed by the situation here in Tenby and it is sufficiently distant from Haverfordwest not to warrant any action.
Alistair Mackay,
Sheerwater, 4 St. Julian Terrace, Tenby.