Tenby councillors are to write to the Welsh Government to ask them to look into addressing the anomalies that have led to a number of local businesses ‘falling through the cracks’ in being able to access the financial support packages for business that are available.

Discussing such matters at Tuesday night’s remote meeting of the town council, including the financial issues that many traders at Tenby Market Hall who haven’t been able to open since the lockdown have experienced, along with the harbour boatmen, members expressed the concerns that had been relayed to them.

Councillors agreed to write to Welsh Government and Pembrokeshire County Council to seek their support for businesses in Tenby who have not been able to access the financial support that is available.

In particular, councillors emphasised the need for support to be given to Tenby Market and to the Passenger Carrying businesses that operate from the harbour.

“Unfortunately there is little direct action the town council could take, as any power to resolve it lies with either the Pembrokeshire County Council or the Welsh Government,” said Clr. Harry Whitehurst following the meeting.

“However, we want to show our support for both the market traders and others who are not getting the support they need, and so have decided to write to Wales’ economy minister Ken Skates and the First Minister Mark Drakeford, to hopefully help highlight the struggle some are facing and speed up any help the Senedd can provide,” he added.

Traders at the market hall have been campaigning to get financial support during the pandemic, writing to Welsh Government ministers and Pembrokeshire County Council enquiring as to why they continue to be overlooked for any grant scheme funding since being forced to close.

One trader at the market on High Street, Paul Deverson who runs a photography and picture framing business has stated that the ‘stress and fear’ of losing his business has caused him such anxiety it has affected his mental health, as he has been left ‘constantly sick’ with worry about what the future holds.

County councillor for Tenby’s north ward, Clr. Michael Williams has previously outlined his concerns that the market traders will be on the ‘cusp of total failure’ if they do not receive some form of financial help soon, stating his fear that Tenby will lose its market, if help isn’t forthcoming.

Mr. Deverson who has continued to campaign the Welsh Government and PCC on behalf of market traders has also launched a petition that would see local authorities given discretion to award small business rates relief grant to businesses who pay rates through their rent, giving them the same support as all other businesses.

“What is happening to us and our business is an absolute disgrace. We feel that the Welsh Government are still discriminating against us and playing some damaging and detrimental lucky dip game with our businesses!

“Why can’t they hold their hands up, and admit that they were letting certain rate-paying businesses down?” commented Mr. Deverson.

“We will be demanding a full investigation into Ken Skates and the way the Welsh Labour Government have clearly discriminated against us. Mr. Skates has not replied once to our pleas.

“The Welsh government appear to be completely out of touch with the real world and have blatantly discriminated against us and must be held accountable for this.

“Mr. Skates knows well that we pay business rates through our rent to our local authority but refuses totally to amend this asw the Government did in Westminster.

“It is a total disgrace and I can’t for the life of me understand how the Welsh Government can be so uncaring, sending many businesses to certain failure.

“I can’t for the life of me understand why they would let us go over 15 weeks with no support whatsoever. How do they think we feed our families, as we don’t have guaranteed income, we have nothing!

“We work six days a week every week except for the summer season which we heavily rely on - which due to Covid-19 closure enforcements we have lost.

“Just because we trade from shops inside Tenby Market Hall we pay rent to the local authority - which includes our business rates, we pay tax to HMRC like everyone else, we pay VAT on our stock like everyone else, we pay our utility bills like everyone else so why the discrimination?” added Mr. Deverson.

The online petition can be found at: https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/200072