Business people in Tenby who feel that their trade has suffered severely since street works have disrupted the town centre, believe that shops and stores will be forced to close if visitors and shoppers continue to stay away from the resort

Work on the latest phase of Pembrokeshire County Council's enhancement scheme in Tudor Square started at the beginning of November, consisting of a major road reconstruction and a new layout of the carriageway and footway within the centre of Tenby.

While work will cease for the Christmas period, it will start again in January, and it is expected that the programme will be completed by May, 2012.

According to one shop owner, many businesses in the town are in the process, or have already submitted an appeal for rate relief to help compensate for the enormous losses they have encountered during the works, and have a list of dates and figures to prove the negative impact these periods are having on their businesses.

"At present, we businessmen and women of the town are encountering extremely difficult trading conditions," said Dewi Davies, of Jago.

"The majority of retailers and catering outlets within the town rely predominantly upon footfall of people and currently we are seeing our lowest figures for many years.

"While we appreciate that disruption will be inevitable during these works, we feel that the works have not been carried out with the town's businesses in mind.

"Firstly, it is beyond belief how long the works have taken and why pavements and surfaces are put down and then simply dug up weeks later," he continued.

While the works are being carried out, according to Mr. Davies many retailers are seeing up to a 75 per cent decrease in trading figures, as shoppers see the town as simply a 'no go zone', with road works currently being carried out on the Norton and in Upper Frog Street, as well as the ones in Tudor Square.

"People are quite literally staying away, but we want to send out a message that we are still 'open for business as usual', The town currently has a high level of empty properties, with another closing its doors this week, and I fear there will be more by the time these works are finished.

"Many businesses, mine included, are having severe difficulties in receiving deliveries and removing commercial waste etc. from their properties.

"Only last week I had to meet a delivery driver at the Salterns car park and make eight trips in my car to get my stock to the shop. This is not an isolated incident and many other businesses are encountering such problems," explained Mr. Davies, who personally feels that businesses directly affected by the road works and enhancement scheme should receive 100 per cent rate relief while any disruption occurs within the vicinity of their property.

"Over a decade ago, many towns, including Narberth, were granted business rate relief. Yes, the circumstances were initially related to the major problems the rural communities were encountering, but just look at the benefit it has had on the town, as Narberth is now regarded as one of the country's best independent shopping High Streets and does not have a single empty business property.

"I feel it is now time that we as a town in Tenby push forward to make our case known to the Welsh Assembly and quite literally ask for help.

"The model of business rate relief is a proven winner and the proof is up the road in Narberth. Business rate relief would help to develop our beautiful town into a retail and gastro hub that could see the number of visitors to our town increase dramatically," he said.

Business owners in the town have contacted the commercial rates department in Carmarthen to notify them of the disruption, while Lesley Fisher, of Tenby House Hotel, who also says her business has suffered financially due to the street works, has written to the town council to ask them to support the traders' push to gain rate relief.

"Whilst I appreciate that the works are ongoing, they have nevertheless been continuing for a great length of time, and I am sure that other town centres do not have to suffer this kind of disruption for so long," said Mrs. Fisher.

"I am aware that work has had to be done to accommodate the tourist season, and also local authority finances, but I feel we are now at a stage where every business in Tenby is suffering adversely from road works throughout the town.

"The fact is that as we near Christmas everyone should see people in the streets, but this is not happening.

"Business leading up to Christmas is the buffer for many in the lean months of the New Year.

"Narberth has a thriving High Street, and so would Tenby if businesses had the same support as our close neighbours.

"Tenby does not deserve any less than any other town, and we are being unfairly challenged from all angles at present," she added.

Restaurant owner Matthew Ronowitz, who runs The Qube in Tudor Square, also feels the disruption is unacceptable.

"How are we able to run our businesses and attract people into the town, when it looks like World War Three has just hit us?

"In April, we all had our rates increased, but to help us we need rates decreased, as why should we pay rates when we are getting nothing back from the council apart from disruption and extremely bad time planning of the road works.

"If there was a rate relief in town, maybe there would be a few more premises filled with thriving businesses attracting more people into town," he said.

Discussing the matter at Tuesday night's meting of Tenby Town Council, after members had received correspondence from the business owners in Tudor Square, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown said she would raise the matter at the next meeting of the Chamber of Trade.

"We don't want to criticise the county council with regards to this work too much as we agreed to this plan and they have accommodated us on one or two occasions when we have asked for work to cease over busier periods.

"Hopefully the Chamber of Trade, who have campaigned for this type of rate relief before, can give us the right information needed to help these businesses," said Clr. Mrs. Brown.

Clr. David Morgan admitted he had some sympathy with the county council workers, as he believed that inconsiderate motorists illegally parking, added to the congestion in the Square.

"Motorists parking two or three abreast, illegally, and nipping into the bank cause most of the problems. If the parking enforcement officers patrolled that area more frequently, then at least the traffic flow wouldn't add to the problems in the centre of town," he remarked.

The town clerk, Mr. Andrew Davies, said that businesses along Frog Street had previously applied for rate relief under similar circumstances when work was carried out on the street's cobbles a few years ago, but he believed that businesses had to individually apply for any reduction.

Clr. Lawrence Blackhall suggested that the town council should write to the Welsh Assembly Government expressing their support for the businesses in Tudor Square and also write to local AMs and MPs to make them aware of the situation.