Illumination of Tenby’s historic town walls and an enhancement of South Parade could be one of the first projects set to benefit from the second homes council tax funding.

Pembrokeshire County Council’s cabinet member for finance, Clr. Bob Kilmister, recently informed members of Tenby Town Council how the scheme to share out the funds collected from the second homes council tax levy would work, with the authority’s cabinet recently backing a proposal for 25 per cent to be allocated for a county-wide grant, and the remaining 75 per cent to be given to town and community councils, with the amount determined by the number of second homes in those areas.

He said that a resort like Tenby itself would receive the biggest ‘slice of the pot’, receiving a funding boost of £83,692, which was deemed to be fair as it was the area in Pembrokeshire that had the greater amount of second home owners.

At a recent meeting held in Tenby to discuss the enhancement of the South Parade and the lighting of the town walls, PCC representatives for regeneration projects, Sinead Henehan and Steve Jardine, suggested that the Heritage Lottery Fund would be the most appropriate funding avenue to approach.

However, as the illumination of the historic walls had been identified as one of the strategic priorities in the Masterplan Regeneration Framework for the town, the project would also be eligible for funding from the second homes council tax initiative, as this was a scheme that could lead to regeneration of the town for the benefit of permanent residents in terms of environmental improvements and increasing and sustaining employment in the winter months by attracting more people in the off-season.

Ms Henehan said that the scheme would have to go out to tender and information was needed to establish what was wanted from the project and how it would benefit the town and area as a whole.

It was discussed that the South Parade area was seen as the gateway into Tenby and the town walls the backdrop to the heart of the town.

Those at the meeting were shown a slide show of the possible town wall lighting system from a company by the name of Zumtobel.

It was explained that this was only one example and the scheme would have to go out to tender, but this was considered to at least be a starting point.

It was suggested that the amount of fittings could be looked at to reduce the number, and cost, with specific features being highlighted.

Clr. Laurence Blackhall felt that that an overall design down The Esplanade could also be looked at and undertaken on a section by section phased basis.

He also suggested electricity access points could be introduced along the South Parade which could be utilised during events, street markets and for Christmas lighting etc.

It was pointed out that, as Tenby was a founder member of the European Walled Towns Association and the walls were the resort’s heritage, they needed to identify how to drive this project forward, and while the lighting of the town walls was an aspiration and a masterplan priority, clarity of vision was needed on how to progress the proposals.

PCC’s highways department needed to be involved to ensure that any public utility work planned for the Parade would be undertaken prior to enhancement, and it was agreed that input from the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority would also be critical.

It was agreed that the scheme needed to be tender /procurement ready, and it was proposed that a meeting of the Regeneration Team be called to review the Regeneration Masterplan with a view to confirming that lighting of the town walls was a priority and that a working party be set up to move the project forward.

It was also noted that the replacement of the horse chestnut trees removed from the South Parade due to fungal infections would not be enforced by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.