Town councillors in Tenby are due to discuss a revised planning application at their meeting tonight - which has left Market Hall traders seething over a lack of consultation by Pembrokeshire County Council over plans that could see part of the facility lost to the development of a new luxury spa hotel and restaurant next door.

Revised plans (reference: NP/24/0438/FUL) for a change of use of the former TP Hughes retail store at 12 High Street, to turn the premises into a spa hotel, restaurant and cafe/bar, along with associated extensions and alterations, which have been submitted to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, will now incorporate part of the Market Hall and former Town Hall next door.

The application submitted by Bassett Crockford Holdings Ltd via agent Gerald Blain Associates Ltd now looks to remodel the former town hall to accommodate the spa and gym facilities for the hotel with the area to be linked to the hotel via a new opening between the two buildings on the first floor.

The proposals are also looking to the internal remodelling of the market hall to allow for accessible toilets/back of house kitchen (to be accessed via the ground floor of the former retail store) and first floor extension above at the new restaurant development.

Concerns flagged-up by market traders point to the fact that they fear they will - lose 3 store rooms and staff toilets without any guarantee of replacements; as well as losing a large space of the market hall and a retail unit.

Traders also fear possible closure of the market for a prolonged period of time while work takes place, with no plan offered as to what will happen to their businesses.

They have slammed PCC for a lack of communication and forward planning.

One trader told the Observer: “There have been new plans submitted which includes the loss of the storage room of four of the traders and the construction of a room to house the spa within the market itself.

“The main concern is that the scale of work needed to construct the room for the spa would mean we would have to vacate the market for a length of time - but there are many other concerns.

“We have spoken to Lewis Hinds from PCC’s property department but as yet have had no firm proposals regarding our future.”

The premises was previously home to the TP Hughes store for a number of years, before going onto house clothes retailer M&Co, which closed in 2023.

County Councillor for Tenby's North Ward, Cllr Michael Williams who has pushed Pembrokeshire Council for improvements to be carried out to the market hall building down the years, said that traders are rightly annoyed over a ‘total lack’ of consultation from the Local Authority, on what is a ‘major and worrying’ development for them.

“I met with the traders yesterday afternoon, who have asked for an urgent meeting with Pembrokeshire County Council’s CEO in order to raise their concerns and I hope this can materialise as a matter of urgency,” stated Cllr Williams on Tuesday, January 7.

“I requested a meeting with officers of PCC last year, which was declined. In my opinion it could only have helped if such a meeting had taken place.

“For the first time in many years we now see a number of successful small and medium enterprises providing a valued service to our community, and just imagine what could be created in this facility given some investment.

“The traders have made the commitment, isn’t it a pity that the Local Authority over many years has failed to do so. We should learn how success can be achieved from looking at Cardigan market.”

Back in October, members of Tenby Town Council gave their backing to the initial plans to transform one of the seaside town’s main retail stores into a hotel and restaurant.

Giving their recommendations on the application to PCNPA, town councillors recommended approval for the plans, stating: ‘The application blends in with the town Conservation Area and will enhance the tourist offer.

‘It goes some way to offsetting the loss of hotel bed spaces elsewhere in the town. Although the loss of A1 retail space is noted, the building appears to have been unable to attract a new retail offer and members feel that the proposed use is more favourable than allowing possible deterioration of the fabric of the building.’

Town councillors in Tenby are due to discuss the revised planning application at their meeting tonight (Tuesday, January 14).

After calls for much needed improvements and maintenance work to the building, with a leaking roof continuously causing problems for traders, it was said that the historic hall - home of one of the oldest markets in Pembrokeshire - was in line for some much needed TLC to secure its future, with the Local Authority said to be ‘engaged in discussions’ with the developers of the new spa hotel and restaurant next door back in November.

Pembrokeshire County Council – which has responsibility for maintaining the market – has come in for longstanding criticism for not putting any ‘meaningful investment’ into the Grade II-listed market hall for many years.

With renewed calls made for urgent attention to the building to stop it deteriorating further, with concerns about its condition previously raised with local politicians and councillors; it was hoped that the discussions being led by Pembrokeshire Council late last year, would help achieve required repairs to part of the iconic building. But no indication was given by PCC that the discussions were seemingly forming part of a plan to incorporate the new development next door.

A statement issued by PCC at the time to the Observer, giving an update on matters said: “Due to the age and type of property, significant investment is required to repair, sustain and protect Tenby Market.

“The Council is currently engaged in discussions with a developer in order to help achieve the required repairs to part of the building, which if agreed would help to secure the building’s future. As these discussions are ongoing it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”

“Market Traders are being kept informed and we will remain in contact with them as discussions progress,” added the spokesperson.

Cllr Michael Williams said at the time that he felt that it wouldn’t be ‘acceptable’ for any developer to control the operation of the Market Hall.

“The priority must be to sustain Tenby’s market keeping it completely within the control of the Local Authority, with a shared management structure with the traders,” he remarked.

“It isn’t acceptable that any developer should in any way control the operation of the Market Hall, as it is at the core of our town, a listed building which has suffered for many years from neglect.

“It is interesting to witness the Local Authority investment in Cardigan market, and the question should be why couldn’t this have been achieved in Pembrokeshire?

“In conclusion it might be well to remember ‘Beware of a Greek bearing gifts’ - added Cllr Williams.

The Observer understands that even though Pembrokeshire Council has been in discussions with the developers, no agreement had been reached when the revised planning application had been submitted to PCNPA for consideration before the Christmas period on December 16.

The Observer asked Pembrokeshire Council to comment on the proposals on Friday, January 3, and as of today, are yet to respond.