With consultations on the way that leisure, culture and tourism services are delivered across Pembrokeshire to be extended, the Mayor of Tenby has reiterated the importance of tourism to the town.

Pembrokeshire County Council has recently conducted a series of consultation meetings across the county, asking the community, service users and other stakeholders to help inform the decision making process, on alternative ways these services, such as - leisure centres, swimming pools, libraries, museums, and tourism marketing support, can be delivered in the future, with unprecedented budget reductions to take place over the next few years.

When discussing the matter recently, members of Tenby Town Council said they would pull together their views to form a response, with the focus on terms and conditions for service staff, and protecting leisure and tourism, which was ‘vital’ economy to the town and Pembrokeshire as a whole.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, the Mayor, Clr. Laurence Blackhall, told his colleagues that he’d been able to have a lengthy conversation on the matter with Clr. Elwyn Morse, PCC’s cabinet member for leisure, on the morning of the Ironman Wales event in Tenby.

“The conversation reflected the town council’s views and stressed the importance of tourism to Tenby,” he said.

Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown asked again if PCC had a tourism officer, as she didn’t know who they were?

The town clerk said that PCC’s tourism marketing and development manager, Alan Turner, had declined invitations in the past to meet with the town council, as he indicated it was ‘inappropriate and impossible’ to attend every town and community council across the county.

“Maybe we can write again to him, in light of these recent leisure and tourism proposals, and say we would like to speak to him, as if we haven’t got tourism in Tenby, we’ve got nothing else!” said Clr. Mrs. Brown, with her colleague Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter agreeing. “I’d like to put a face to a name,” she said.

The consultation period is now due to end on October 14.