Sir,

The following is a copy of a letter I sent to Tenby Town Council.

I thought I should write to say how upset we were at our recent visit to our our previously favourite town of Tenby, and say that we are now most unlikely ever to return.

To put it all into context, let me explain. I was born in Robeston Wathen, near Narberth, in 1945, and grew up loving Tenby and really regarded it almost as my true home.

Although my family eventually moved to Somerset, we still returned to Tenby most years for our annual holiday. It is true to say that in the 1970s our three children all learned to walk on Tenby South Beach.

I joined the police force in the 1960s and retired as a Chief Superintendent in Bristol in 1999. I then became a District Councillor in 2001, later becoming the cabinet member on South Gloucester Council responsible for planning and transport. I also chaired the regional transport body for the West of England Partnership. But we still came to Tenby as often as possible for holidays!

But this year everything changed!

For some time I have been suffering from chronic back trouble and as a result can no longer walk far, about 50 yards at a time is the max. But I have a blue badge and we usually managed to park in the car park down by the harbour so as to be able to visit the quay and walk around past the lifeboat station.

But no more! You appear not to want us any more. The pedestrian scheme in the town centre does not allow the disabled any access to that area and we were left feeling totally unwanted.

We were able to park for a while on the Esplanade overlooking Caldey, but were never able to get to our favourite areas.

Our holiday ruined, we left early, probably never to return. We are in our early 70s now and had hoped to enjoy our second home more and more, but it seems that can never now be.

My transport experiences fully accept that you had a difficult task balancing the needs of the tourist on which your economy relies and the need to provide vehicular access. But you appear to have ignored the effect on the disabled!

I am sorry to sound petulant, but we did love Tenby and to be excluded at this time of our lives is very hard.

Finally, to clarify, this was not an ‘Ironman’ problem, it is a pedestrianisation issue!

Brian and Paula Allinson,

South Gloucestershire.