Councillors in Tenby are to look at ways of enhancing the town’s Five Arches in 2021 as an historic focal point and gateway into the resort.

At a recent remote meeting of Tenby Town Council, Clr. Mike Evans told his fellow members that he felt that the town walls were a tremendous asset to the town but that more could be done to enhance the Five Arches as an ‘historic gateway’ into the Walled Town.

“Do we replace the gates? Do we install lighting? Can we get rid of the weed growth?” he remarked when asking fellow councillors for suggestions and ideas as to how it could be enhanced.

He also suggested that the town council could access the Enhancing Pembrokeshire Fund grants to carry out any project.

The Mayor, Clr. Sam Skyrme-Blackhall said that she and the town clerk had spoken to Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Licensing and Major Events, Clr. Phil Baker during the summer on looking at ways of enhancement of the South Parade and the town walls, but due to Covid- 19 such ideas were not moving forward.

She said Clr. Baker was keen to learn of any ideas that the town council may have, and that Tenby should be celebrating and making the most of its heritage

Clr. Evans formally proposed that the town council designate the Five Arches as the designated gateway to the walled town of Tenby and look to establish a working group to look at how to improve it.

“TTC have the money in our budget, all we needed was the vision of councillors to create a beautiful wish list,” he said.

The town clerk said that he was aware that PCC had surveyed the South Parade with a view to replacing sets in the former tree holes and he believed work was programmed to start some time in 2021 on sorting out the uneven pavements. However, this work would be unlikely to affect anything further down South Parade towards the Five Arches.

Clr. Evans said he was delighted to hear that PCC were to take on board resolving the uneven pavements.

The town clerk said he was also aware that two of the absent councillors had expressed interest in getting an item on the agenda to look at resurrecting the idea of lighting the town walls, and perhaps that this could be considered by the working party.

Clr. Laurence Blackhall said that as one of the people who first raised the idea of lighting the town walls, he supported this. The possibility of PCC looking at the unevenness of the parade was a start but he felt it required a much bigger project to make a long term impact.

“We need to look at this in the round but the Five Arches were a good starting point,” he said, seconding the proposal.

Clr. Hallett told councillors that the town walls were ultimately in the hands PCC and CADW.

It was resolved that that the town council look to establish a working party to consider ways of enhancing the Five Arches as an historic focal point and as the designated gateway into the Walled Town.