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TENBY, Wales — May 7, 2026
Pembrokeshire County Council has begun installing CCTV cameras at Tenby’s multi-storey car park in Upper Park Road as part of a safety upgrade. The ground floor is closed to the public this week, and parking disruption is expected to last for several weeks. Council officials say the timing was chosen after the summer season and before half-term holidays. The project puts a spotlight on long-standing complaints about tight parking spaces, a broken lift and antisocial activity at the site.
The building sits a short walk from Tenby’s main shopping streets, the harbour and the beach, which is why it is used so heavily by day trippers. Local tourism businesses say car-park capacity strongly influences visitor numbers, especially on busy weekends. A car park that is perceived as unsafe or poorly maintained can hurt the town’s image as an easy place to visit.
In a statement issued on May 7, a council spokesperson said: “This week the ground floor will be closed. There will be disruption for the next few weeks. We have picked this window as after summer season and before half term.”
The authority apologised for inconvenience but did not give a completion date. The ground floor is the car park’s main entrance level and the easiest route to the town centre for older visitors and those carrying shopping. Its closure means drivers entering from Upper Park Road must follow temporary signs and use the upper levels.
As of the publication date, no exact reopening date has been announced. Council staff have indicated the closure should be finished before the half-term break, but work schedules could slip if equipment deliveries are delayed.
The practical impact of the closure was quickly highlighted by local shoppers. One woman said she visited the car park with her 91-year-old mother on the first day of the works and found only three disabled parking bays available. She also found the lift out of service. “Was this properly thought out I wonder!” she posted.
Another social media user agreed and wrote: “They might like to fix the lift at same time!” The exchange was widely shared, with several other commenters recalling past occasions when the lift was out of order during busy periods.
The lift issue is not new. The passenger lift serves all floors of the building and is often the only accessible route for wheelchair users after cars have been parked. Having it broken during a week when the ground floor is shut makes the car park almost unusable for some people.
The closed ground floor is also a reminder that the car park layout has become outdated. County councillor Michael Williams, who represents Tenby’s North ward, has written to the local authority about the width of parking bays.
In his correspondence, Williams said: “The parking bays currently in place in this car park are far too small to accommodate modern vehicles and the layout needs to be reconfigured if possible before next season.”
He added: “The size of parking bays is particularly relevant in this car park due to the constraints created by its structure.”
Drivers have complained for years that the bays were designed for smaller vehicles. Modern SUVs and electric cars, which are often wider than older models, struggle to fit into the painted lines. The structural columns inside the car park cannot be moved, so any redesign would have to balance bay widths against traffic aisles and the total number of spaces.
A redesign is not expected to happen during the current CCTV work, but Williams made clear he wants action before the next tourist season. The council has not yet announced whether a feasibility study will be carried out.
CCTV installation has also been driven by concerns about antisocial behaviour. Groups of young people have used the car park as a gathering point for some time, prompting complaints from residents and calls for police patrols.
Surveillance cameras are often requested in such cases because they provide evidence and may deter trouble. However, neighbours have said the problem also needs visible enforcement, improved lighting and a consistent police presence. The council has not confirmed whether the new system will be monitored live or linked to the local police station.
Before the CCTV work began, the council made 24-hour parking charges permanent on floors one, two and three. The charges had been trialled over the summer season and were brought in permanently earlier this year.
The change was separate from the security project but is part of the same effort by Pembrokeshire County Council to improve management of the facility. Revenue from the new tariff could support maintenance and security costs, although the council has not said that explicitly.
Some motorists have questioned why the new charging structure did not lead to quicker repairs or better facilities. Others have pointed out that the council should make sure the car park remains accessible while it collects overnight fees from visitors.
The most immediate concern for older and disabled drivers is whether the lift will be repaired before the ground floor reopens. Council staff have not confirmed whether lift maintenance is included in the current contractor’s scope of work.
A spokesperson did say that disruption would be temporary and apologised for difficulties. The council has also told motorists to follow on-site signage and to allow extra time when using the car park over the next few weeks.
Residents have said the lack of a clear answer on the lift is typical of how the car park has been managed for years. Adding cameras, they argue, does not help people who cannot reach the upper floors in the first place.
The CCTV upgrade is a welcome visible step, but it does not by itself solve the parking, lift and safety concerns that residents have raised for years. With the summer season approaching, the pressure is on the council to finish the work quickly and then turn attention to the wider problems inside the building.
Tenby is one of Pembrokeshire’s busiest seaside towns, and its multi-storey car park is a vital piece of local transport infrastructure. The new cameras may make the building feel safer, but the car park will only win back public confidence if the lift works, the bays are usable and antisocial behaviour is properly tackled.
The next few weeks will show whether the council can deliver the security upgrade without making an already unpopular facility even harder to use.
