Sir,
What on earth has happened to local pride in Tenby town? Having recently relocated into the town from the East Midlands for a better quality of life, I'm horrified to see the amount of litter and dog excrement lying all over the town's pavements. It ranges from vomit-encrusted card boxes lying in Warren Street to empty pizza boxes and chip shop trays thrown over the wall on the Esplanade. It is impossible to walk on any of the town's promenades without having to play the obligatory 'hopscotch' to avoid treading in dog mess that uncaring animal owners have just left behind. As the iconic Pembrokeshire tourist attraction, where is the pride in the town?
Certainly tourists will be to blame for some of the mess, but in early February there aren't that many visitors to the town - so it would be reasonable to assume that some of the mess must have been caused by locals.
As the old chestnut of Tenby town parking continues to cause frustration to holidaymakers and visitors, again it would be fair to assume that more people might consider travelling to our town by rail. If so, walking up Warren Street from the railway station does not present a pretty picture.
Whilst I appreciate that walking home with that oh- so-important 'warm' doggy bag or less-important cold chip wrapper might be just a tad inconvenient, surely a little inconvenience has to be better, not just for the environment, but also for the image of the town that we all love?
A noticeable absence of 'warm doggy bag disposal units' is apparent. Perhaps litter bins should be more easily accessible.
My challenge isn't just to the townspeople to take more of a pride in their town, but also to Pembrokeshire County Council to let us know the plans forward they have to overcome these problems.
It's not just about keeping up appearances between Easter and September, it's about encouraging visitors all year round - and to do this we must maintain an image of cleanliness, tidiness and pride at all times.
I live and work in Warren Street and since Christmas I have only seen a single council employed litter collector on one occasion and within 48 hours of his visit, the litter and dog mess returned. So please PCC let the townspeople know what are your plans to overcome these problem, and by when.
We wait with baited breath.
D. Stewart-Walvin, Tenby.