Maintenance of the old well in Tenby's St. John's Hill should be the responsibility of Pembrokeshire County Council it was suggested this week.

In a copy of a letter to Tenby Civic Society, brought before Tenby Town Council at their meeting on Wednessday night, Mr. Barrie Davies, the county council's head of infrastructure management commented that he was unable to find any records as to the ownership of the well.

"As the well originally would have been a community asset, used by the community, it seems logical that its preservation and maintenance should be in the hands of the same," he wrote. "Therefore I suggest you approach the Town Council with a view to agreeing a maintenance regime for the well with any costs involved being funded from the Town Council's rates precept."

In a reply letter to Mr. Davies, a copy of which was also before the town council, the Civic Society admitted to being "at a loss to understand" Mr. Davies' claim that the county council did not own the well.

If this was the case why, the Civic Society asked did the owners of St. John's Croft pay a peppercorn rent to the County Council and not to Tenby Town Council.

Clr. Mickey Folland informed fellow councillors that the well did indeed belong to the old Borough Council.

However, this had been passed, along with the rest of the corporate estate, into the hands of South Pembrokeshire District Council under local government re-organisation in 1974.

Subsequently it would have passed over to Pembrokeshire County Council following further re-organisation in 1996.

However, Clr. Folland also recalled that when repair work had been needed in 1991, it had been carried out by Dyfed County Council "as there was no indication as to whose ownership it was."

Clr. Trevor Hallett revealed that residents of St. John's Croft were looking into the rent on the land.

However, he recalled that when someone tried to claim the land, he was told tat it was in the ownership of the county council.

"If that is the case, then the county council should be responsible for maintenance," he said.

Clr. Folland said he would meet with Mr. Davies and appraise him of the history of the well.