The unsightly site of a former hotel in Tenby has turned the town into a 'laughing stock', local councillors claimed this week, after latest plans for the red-evelopment of the area received a setback.

Members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority's development management committee, last week, voted against removal of the cinema aspect from the multi-million pound Gatehouse development in Tenby when considering a new application from developers South Terrace Properties Ltd. to change the use of the cinema to allow retail, financial, food and drink uses.

The company had previously been granted permission to redevelop the site of the former Royal Gatehouse Hotel and Royal Playhouse Cinema, to provide 39 apartments, a 68-bed hotel, three commercial units and a replacement cinema. However, the developers have stated that the single factor holding back the funding of the development, is the failure to attract any company or individual to lease the cinema element of the scheme.

After National Park members voted to refuse the latest application by a count of 10 to four, with one abstention, a spokesperson for the Park Authority said: "The main reasons for refusal were a lack of marketing, nor a business case to justify the loss of a cinema or other D2/community use."

Speaking on the matter at Tuesday night's meeting of Tenby Town Council, who recommended refusal of the latest application, Clr. Lawrence Blackhall said that there was a real concern that the decision would bring further delay to work on the development commencing and that the county council should soon begin to contemplate compulsory purchase for the site if there was no movement on work within a fixed period.

"Of course we want work to start on the scheme as soon as possible, but there is real concern now that there will be no movement for the next 12 months," he said.

"If this proves to be the case, I'd desperately like to see certain issues surrounding the development given some immediate attention, in particular the unsightly hoardings around the site and the safety quality of some of the other buildings that form part of the whole scheme.

"I'd like to see significant developments regarding these main issues before the summer season in order to enhance the town, rather than bring shame on Tenby, which is what these issues have done for some time now," added Clr. Blackhall, who suggested that the town council write to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to see if some proper hoardings could be put in place around the site and some work could be carried out on the state of the buildings in question.

His colleague, Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter, agreed that the poor state of the site urgently needed addressing now in light of the latest planning application setback.

"It's unfair on the town and especially those in that area," she remarked.

"The state of the site is an absolute disgrace as a whole, it's made Tenby a laughing stock, and while the owner has blamed Tenby for a lot of things, he's not been fair to Tenby here and not helped the town one bit.

"It almost makes you want to cry," continued Clr. Mrs. Rossiter, adding that she was also a bit concerned that vermin could be entering the site from the cliff tops.

The town clerk, Mr. Andrew Davies, told members that he had received correspondence from the National Park over the untidy state of the land on the Gatehouse site, stating that in order for the authority to establish whether a breach of planning regulations had occurred, one of the authority's enforcement officers would be investigating the matter, and where appropriate, carry out a site visit.

Clr. Mrs. Julie Evans said she found it hard to comprehend how other places in the UK which had suffered similar scenarios to the Gatehouse blaze four years ago, had seen developments take place within a two-year period.

"Within the space of two years, something has been developed 10 times better than what was there before in other examples, yet here we are four years later with the Gatehouse and nothing has been done.

"It's becoming a joke. There must be some kind of time limits put in place for this scheme now, otherwise the town will be in the same position in 10 years time.

"There will be no alternative but to look at legal action soon and maybe we should consult the county council now to look into it. I'm sure rate payers would think it was money well spent to finally see some improvement," she added.

Footnote: Following last week's planning refusal decision by Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, owner of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel, Graham Fry told the Observer he was 'deeply disappointed' with the decision.

"We are now considering all our options and as soon as we have clarified the situation we will give a full account of what we are doing," he said.