A discussion on the benefits of extending Tenby’s pedestrianisation scheme drove a wedge through the town council this week when members were asked to give their views on a consultation being carried out by Pembrokeshire County Council.

Following a review of the scheme in 2015, the pedestrianisation scheme which sees the prohibition on vehicular traffic entering the walled town during the summer, was extended to run from the Monday following the Long Course Weekend to the Friday preceding Ironman Wales, both held in the resort.

New dates were trialled this year, with the scheme starting on the first Monday in July, and ending on the second Friday in September, with the aim to remove the annual variation in the start and finish dates, previously linked to the two sporting events.

With an evaluation on this year’s trial being carried out, PCC have invited residents and businesses in the town to give their views via a questionnaire.

At Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, members were asked to give their views and respond as a collective council on what feedback to give.

Bringing her own personal views to the table first, Deputy Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown said that she welcomed the extension trial and would also favour the scheme being introduced at other times of the year.

“I don’t live in the town centre and I don’t hold a permit to enter with my vehicle, but I think the scheme has gone well this year, and I personally as a councillor didn’t receive any complaints about it,” she told her colleagues.

“I would push to extend the scheme until the end of September, and also investigate what other holiday periods throughout the year that it could be introduced, such as Easter and half terms etc. In my opinion it benefits businesses in the town and makes the town more vibrant.

“The extension seems to have worked this year, and to reduce this to just fit in with the school holidays would be going backwards. We need to go forward.

“Our town thrives on tourism and the town needs this scheme to thrive, and I believe it would work at other times of the year out of the summer period,” added Clr. Mrs. Brown.

Clr. Laurence Blackhall agreed with his colleague’s comments, and Clr. Will Crockford felt too that the scheme would be beneficial at other key holiday times of the year, especially over Christmas when festive markets could be introduced.

The Mayor of Tenby, however said that she wouldn’t favour a further extension to the scheme.

“I find it extremely difficult where I live, as you can’t access that area within the town via car,” said Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane.

“To introduce it to other parts of the year would make it difficult for people with children to visit and shop, as they struggle to park and carry shopping. It’s not as easy for everybody you know!

“Unless they review it then I’m not for any extension at all, and would prefer that they just went back to the school holiday period, that was enough,” she added, with Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter concurring.

“You have to think about the residents inside the town wall and is it beneficial to them?

“Also the extra expense and costs it might entail if the county council were to cherry pick the times the scheme was introduced. If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it!” she remarked.

Clr. Tony Brown said that he felt that by introducing pedestrianisation to other periods of the year, would just be detrimental to those living in the town.

“I don’t agree with it going from Whitsun or any other times of the year. The extension this year over the summer has been ample, and eight or nine weeks of the year is enough,” he said.

“You have to think about the people living in the town, elderly visitors and the disabled, and how difficult it can prove for them to access the town centre during pedestrianisation.

“The town doesn’t just run for the holidaymakers to sit and drink coffee on tables and chairs outside of premises in the centre. I wouldn’t extend it to other times beyond summer, and I’d not be happy closing it off for the locals as such - so let’s keep something for the people of Tenby. What is in place now is the perfect amount of time,” he added.

Speaking about the day to day running of the scheme, Clr. Paul Rapi said he felt it was high time now that certain aspects were tweaked.

“It’s about time that we had a permanent set of traffic lights installed at Crackwell Street for such road closures, and also an electronic bollard at the top of High Street, in place of the stupid signs that are put up every morning and look messy, and can be randomly moved by people or tripped over,” he commented.

Clr. Blackhall agreed, and said that it would also be a cost saving if the equipment was already in place every year when the scheme and other road closures come around.

He also said that access rights for residents should be maintained to get in and out of their properties should the scheme be trialled at other times of the year.

When answering the feedback consultation as a whole, the majority of councillors voted that the 2018 trial extension from the first Monday in July to the second Friday in September was ‘acceptable’ and agreed that this should be made permanent.

The majority also agreed that a longer extension of the scheme to take in Whitsun to the end of September; and other holiday periods throughout the year should not be considered.

The consultation is available to complete on the Council’s website at www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/haveyoursay

Copies can also be obtained from Tenby Customer Service and Information Centre at Park Road, Tenby. The deadline for responses is October 31.