A CALL to relocate Tenby Town Council’s office to a vacant café to improve access and allow a community hub and banking service to be created has been approved by national park planners.
In an application submitted to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the town council sought permission for a change of use of the café, empty since late 2022, to allow for the relocation of the town council office from its current location off the entrance corridor of the 1970s De Valence Pavilion building, Upper Frog Street, to the vacant cafe area at the front of the Pavilion to increase service provision through a community information hub.
The application also sought permission to install a One Banx machine in association with the Principality Building Society to provide access to cash deposit and withdrawal services across all banks who are part of the Open Banking Network.
In a supporting statement, Tenby Town Council said the new offices “will enable Tenby Town Council to provide office space that is more inclusive; it will be spacious, well-lit and step free, with wide access doors, ensuring people with mobility issues, visual impairment, cognitive challenges and other disabilities find the premises physically accessible,” as well as being visible and directly accessed from Upper Frog Street, in Tenby’s town centre; people with visual impairment no longer needing to navigate through the De Valence Pavilion’s corridor in order to locate the office.
It added: “Tenby Town Council is committed to providing an accessible, welcoming and equitable space for everyone as far as we can, and our new office is designed, and will be run, with this intention.
“While we appreciate there will always be space for improvements, we will continue to learn, adapt and improve the accessibility and quality of our office and public interactions in the future.”
An officer report recommending approval said: “The proposal will enable a community information hub and shared use facility with Principality Building Society to provide financial services. Banking staff would be present Monday to Friday 9.30am–4.30pm with an hour closure for lunch. The building would not be open on weekends.
“The proposal would not impact on the concentration of non-A1 uses in the primary retail area of Tenby due to the site’s existing permitted A3 use. The proposed mixed use of A2 and B1 uses would maintain an active frontage within the primary retail area, contribute to meeting the needs of local communities, and preserve Tenby Conservation Area.”
The application was conditionally approved by park planners.
