Anti-social behaviour around Tenby’s skate park has seen renewed calls for CCTV to be installed around the facility.

The skate park which sits alongside the Jubilee play park overlooking South Beach, has recently had an upgrade with new equipment installed, including two new quarter pipes, a grind rail and a flat ramp.

However, examples of vandalism at the site over the past couple of years and now anti-social activity once again, has seen members of the public call for CCTV provision to be installed in the vicinity, which has been backed by members of the town council.

Despite the facility being closed for a period and cordoned off so work could be carried out, youngsters were still getting in and using the equipment in the interim.

One town councillor told colleagues at a meeting recently that they had received some very bad reports about the children who were managing to get into the skate park, whose language and behaviour was ‘horrendous’.

The town clerk Andrew Davies said that he’d had similar conversations around the town and there was some very 'unsavoury behaviour' going on, and as such he had contacted a CCTV provider to look into the possibility of installing provision at the park.

Addressing councillors, Mr. Davies highlighted the reports of anti-social and irresponsible behaviour close to the roads of the park that had come to light over recent weeks.

He said that he’d had a conversation with the heads of the four local schools in Tenby to put out a gentle reminder to youngsters regarding the standard of behaviour expected.

The clerk had met with Greenhill secondary school’s headteacher Mr. Ray McGovern, as it was apparent that, due to school closing earlier than normal due to Covid-19, students were coming to the park straight from school.

Mr. McGovern told the clerk that if any staff members were aware of Greenhill students misbehaving, he would bring sanctions as these students were bringing the school into disrepute.

Mr. Davies had also had the opportunity to speak to a CCTV provider but the town council were facing the same problem as previously faced when wanting to light the park, in that access to the mainline power was some distance away.

The nearest street lamp is situated on the corner of Battery Road and the only other sources in the area are close to the former South Beach Hotel and Kinloch Court and this would involve major excavation across the seafront car park or through rock to get to the skate park.

Consideration has been given to solar power but this technology is not considered good enough at present to power the type of system needed.

A combination of solar and wind turbine had also been suggested, whilst a battery powered system would present major maintenance issues.

The clerk had felt that the town council were at an impasse. However, whilst at the park the clerk had met with the property management team who look after the Seafront car park (formerly the Rectory)?on behalf of the church.

Previous discussions with Birt and Co had indicated that there was no desire to put CCTV up at the car park but things had changed and it was now being discussed, and it had been suggested that perhaps the town council could pay towards installation and running costs of this return for some cameras to be directed at the park.

The clerk had been following up on community grants through the Police and Crime Commissioner funding streams but there was no more funding left in the pot, but there were now budgets for the local neighbourhood policing teams for community safety initiatives through what is known as ‘Participatory Budgeting’.

Some £10,000 has been allocated to Tenby and it has been suggested that the town council could put a bid into this for CCTV funding.

Tenby PCSO Andrew Griffiths is leading on this initiative for the local Neighbourhood Policing Team, and he is setting up a steering group and had invited the Mayor to join this.

Councillors felt it would be a good idea to see if the town council could work with the car park management team to provide CCTV and asked if this could be pursued.

Following a safety inspection and some standing water issues which the contractors carrying out work had come back and remedied, the skate park had now been re-opened to the public.

The invoice had come through for the work and was actually around £7,000 under the original quote, with the clerk explaining that this was because, once work commenced on site it became apparent that there was not quite enough room to fit one element originally proposed.

During the consultation the user groups weren’t entirely happy with the element anyway due to safety concerns, so it was decided not to install it.

The clerk went onto tell councillors he would also be discussing with contractors about how the noise may be dampened down as it was a hollow metal structure.

Jim Cornwell treasurer Tenby Skate Park Appeal Committee told the town council that he hoped that the reports of anti-social behaviour at the site wouldn’t takeaway from the good work done at the skate park, for which many had work hard to fundraise towards.

“The children are thoroughly enjoying the improvements made at the skate park, all enjoying the outdoors experience, getting plenty of excitement and enjoyment from the new equipment,” he said in correspondence sent to the town council.

“Several complaints have been voiced about the location, bad language and noise, but to see those young people enjoying the facility makes all the effort worthwhile

“Tenby town council should be proud of this achievement. With limited space and facilities it was difficult to satisfy the requirements but I think we have achieved our aim.

“The children have made several suggestions to me to improve their experience and I will send these recommendations in due course,” he added.

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn recently called on community groups to take advantage of funding for projects that aim to improve safety in the area and apply for funds from a pot committed for Neighbourhood Policing Teams to spend within the communities they serve. Each team will receive £10,000, with communities themselves voting on how the money is allocated.

The NPT is calling on partner organisations and people who live or work in the town to join forces and form a community planning group to make key decisions.

Mr. Llywelyn said: “I have committed to fund this new and innovative approach to community funding as I think it’s vital that local residents have a say in how money is spent in their local area.

“They are best placed to work with the police, and indeed other partner agencies, to identify where the money is needed and what would most benefit the local communities.

“Communities should be influencing the decisions.

“I urge the various community groups in Tenby to consider the funding that I have made available, and to contact the Tenby NPT to discuss ideas, so the whole community can work together to improve community safety.”

If you live, work or play in Tenby and would like to be involved, or if you have any questions, please register an interest at [email protected]

Concerned parents have also taken to social media in the past couple of days to flag up issues where it is alleged that people staying at the Penally Asylum Accommodation Centre have been exchanging details with teenagers who frequent the skate park in Tenby.

In relation to this, a spokesperson for Dyfed-Powys Police stated: “We have received two reports of alleged inappropriate behaviour at the skate park in Tenby and are looking to speak to the people who contacted us.

“In the meantime the skate park is now part of our patrol plans and we have linked in with local schools to reinforce the ‘School Beat Stay SMART’ online messaging initiative.”