A Tenby county councillor has re-emphasized the importance of the seaside town’s harbour to council officers at the Local Authority, calling for the need of careful management that appreciates its ‘historical value’ to the wider community.

The comments of County Councillor for Tenby’s north ward, Cllr Michael Williams come after a controversial planning application was put forward to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority to turn the former RNLI inshore lifeboat launching hut into a food takeaway outlet, which has been labelled ‘inappropriate and unacceptable’ in the historical harbour environment.

Despite concerns raised, Pembrokeshire Council officers have stated that under current financial pressures, the harbour needs to be managed more commercially to be able to sustain it under Council ownership.

“I do understand the need of the authority to get best value for any asset, but I do wonder if the concept or principle of public service has been so seriously eroded that it is becoming almost invisible,” stated Cllr Williams in correspondence sent to Pembrokeshire Council’s Deputy Leader Paul Miller.

“Getting good value should not only be measured by monetary gain. Tenby harbour is possibly one of, if not the most valuable asset that this part of Pembrokeshire possesses and needs careful management that appreciates is historical value to the wider community.”

With rumours abound that Pembrokeshire Council could explore the possibility of off-loading the running of the harbour to a trust or harbour authority, Cllr Williams was quick to pooh-pooh any notion that it should be taken over in the same way that neighbouring Saundersfoot harbour has been in recent years, much to the disgruntlement of locals there.

“I wholeheartedly agree that the harbour needs a more effective management structure. It might be a good idea to involve the Tenby Harbour Users Association to assist in this initiative, as there are many ways that more income could be generated, but it is also important to be very aware of pecuniary interests if proceeding along this route.

“For all of its failings, which sometimes appear almost Kafkaesque, it certainly would not be acceptable to anyone to take the disastrous road that has been taken by Saundersfoot harbour - locally known as ‘Stalag Luft Saundersfoot’ - given the autocratic methods of management currently undertaken there!” continued Cllr Williams.

“Tenby harbour should be regarded as a priceless community asset and not in any way handed to a sometimes-myopic body which doesn't understand its community value.”