A report is to be presented to Pembrokeshire County Council's cabinet recommending that an experimental traffic order be made to trial an extended pedestrianiastion scheme in Tenby this summer.

The consultation exercise on the proposed extension of the scheme has now been completed in respect of the proposal put forward by Tenby Chamber of Trade and Toursim, and Tenby Town Council, to extend the duration that the pedestrianiastion scheme operates, from Monday, July 6, to Friday, September 11.

The trial would also include a 5.30 pm finish.

A questionnaire was delivered to all properties and businesses within the walled town, with a further 50 letters sent to property owners, who through pedestrianisation permit applications, are known to live outside the town. The questionnaire was also made available online.

"A total number of 179 responses were received by the deadline of March 20, and of those, 106 (59 per cent) indicated that they 'strongly agreed' or 'agreed' with the proposal to extend the length that the scheme runs," wrote the county council's senior traffic engineer, Ben Blake, in a letter that came before members of the town council at their meeting on Tuesday night.

From the consultations, 36 per cent 'strongly disagreed' or 'disagreed' with the proposals, whilst in respect of plans to extend the finish time from 5 to 5.30 pm, 103 (57 per cent) 'strongly agreed' or 'agreed', with 36 per cent stating that they 'strongly disagreed' or 'disagreed'.

"Whilst the level of response is relatively low, the feedback received would indicate support to extend the scheme from the end of the Long Course Weekend to the Ironman weekend and also the finish time to 5.30 pm," continued Mr. Blake.

"There does not appear to be support to extend the scheme for a longer period, i.e Whitsun to the end of September," he added.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Clr. Mrs. Trisha Putwain said that the county council might expect to be disappointed with the low response, as they had sent the questionnaires out at the end of February, when some property owners of holiday lettings, for example, would have "missed the boat altogether" in replying.