Talks to illuminate Tenby’s historic town walls, seem to have the authorities all ‘singing from the same hymn sheet,’ it was suggested positively this week.

Following the felling of all 19 of the red horse chestnut trees along the resort’s South Parade in July because of fungal infection, members of Tenby Town Council stated it recent months that the town had been presented with a ‘blank canvas’ to determine what should be prioritised for that area, and have been looking into revisiting a longstanding idea to light up the town walls.

A meeting recently took place between town councillors, and representatives from Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, where the possibilities of enhancing the South Parade were discussed.

Clr. Laurence Blackhall told the meeting that now the trees had been removed from South Parade the unrestricted view of the historic town walls was something that the town council not only wanted retained but enhanced.

He said it presented a ‘stunning gateway’ to the town and gave Tenby an opportunity to create something that would have a lasting impact.

Clr. Blackhall said that the proposals needed to be ambitious to look at the public open space and possible lighting of the walls to create an area with multiple uses.

PCC’s regeneration manager, Sinead Henehan, said that the lighting of the walls had been seen as a priority project by the Town Regeneration Team and that PCC were keen to work with the town council to make the idea a reality.

The town clerk, Andrew Davies, noted that the order which allowed the removal of the trees included a clause that they should be replaced.

However, PCNPA’s head of development management, Nicola Gandy, said that public opinion was that the trees should not go back along that area, and it was the authority’s view that they would not enforce this, as they agreed that the walls were an asset that should be enhanced.

Clr. Blackhall said that any scheme to enhance the South Parade in general should also include St. Florence Parade, with widening of pavements to reconnect The Esplanade to the town.

Street lighting manager at PCC, Mel Stevens, explained that he had been aware of the town council’s idea regarding lighting the walls and had already contacted a firm with vast experience of sympathetic floodlighting of historic landmarks, and they were going to provide a visualisation as to what could be achieved.

Clr. Blackhall suggested that the town council set up a ‘working group’ to liaise with the two authorities.

Speaking at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, Clr. Mrs. Tish Rossiter said that it was good to hear at the meeting that both PCC and PCNPA seemed to be in agreement with everything they were asking for.

“We all seemed to be singing from the same hymn sheet,” she said, with her colleague Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas stating that it was a ‘good, positive’ meeting.

The Mayor, Clr. Mrs. Sue Lane, said that she was ‘absolutely thrilled’ by the feedback given to her about the meeting, and asked for the South Parade enhancement and plans for the town walls to be illuminated to be kept on the town council’s agenda.