Business

Tenby mobile signal crisis sparks more than 500 complaints

Published

2 months ago

April 28, 2026

TRADERS, VISITORS AND RESIDENTS SAY POOR COVERAGE IS HITTING PAYMENTS, PARKING, BOOKINGS AND SAFETY

HUNDREDS of residents, traders and visitors have responded to a public appeal for evidence about poor mobile phone signal in Tenby, with complaints now running to more than 500 comments.

The appeal was posted by Around Tenby as part of work with Tenby Chamber of Trade & Tourism, which is gathering evidence to take directly to mobile networks in a bid to secure improvements before the summer season.

People were asked to list their network, the worst-affected areas, and how poor signal was affecting them.

The responses paint a picture of widespread problems across EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, Tesco Mobile, Giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Lebara, ID Mobile, Lyca, Talk Mobile and other providers.

Complaints cover Tenby town centre, the High Street, the harbour, North Beach, South Beach, the Esplanade, The Green, Frog Street, the multi-storey car park, Sainsbury’s car park, Kiln Park, Penally, New Hedges, Lydstep, Manorbier and Saundersfoot.

‘Better signal on Caldey’

One commenter, Elizabeth Perrella, summed up the frustration, writing: “We had a better signal on Caldey than we do in Tenby!”

Others said the lack of coverage was the only downside to an otherwise beautiful town.

One EE user said: “Can’t pay with my phone in places. It’s the only downside to this beautiful place.”

Another resident, who uses Vodafone, said they live in Tenby and had “not had a signal for months now”.

Several people said the issue becomes significantly worse during busy periods, when visitor numbers rise sharply.

David Walters, an EE customer, said: “EE works in the winter but appears network can’t cope in the summer.”

Another commenter said their phone showed two or three bars, but calls and texts still failed when the town was busy because the mast appeared to be over capacity.

Businesses affected

Many of the comments raised concerns about the effect on businesses, especially those relying on phone calls, card payments, online bookings and mobile payment terminals.

One business owner said poor signal was causing lost sales because customers could not call someone to discuss a purchase.

Karen Ward wrote: “Really bad for business, if a customer needed to call someone regarding a sale and can’t get signal we lose a sale, this unfortunately happens often.”

Debz Jones, who uses Vodafone, said she was “losing lots of direct bookings because no one can get hold of us”.

Rhys Jones, an O2 user, said the problem was making it difficult to run a business, adding: “Can’t run a business to take calls for job enquiries or take payments.”

Road Runners Kilgetty said unstable signal was costing taxi work and making card payments difficult, adding: “NASA can talk to people going to the moon and we can’t talk to people from one village to another.”

Parking and EV charging problems

One of the strongest themes in the comments was the difficulty of using parking apps in Tenby’s car parks.

Several people said they had been unable to pay for parking using mobile apps because there was no signal in or around the multi-storey car park, Sainsbury’s car park and North Beach.

Paul Villa, an EE customer, said he could not get a signal in the multi-storey car park to pay, adding that he had to walk “a long way outside” and still struggled to load the app.

Mark Goodridge said there was “zero O2 reception” in the multi-storey where motorists are expected to use an app.

Others said poor signal was affecting electric vehicle charging, with drivers unable to access apps needed to start or pay for charging sessions.

Alison Lydia Sinclair wrote that Pembrokeshire car parks needed card machines, adding: “Remote payment is usually impossible because of the signal problems.”

Health and safety concerns

Some commenters said the problem was more than an inconvenience and could become a safety issue.

Mike Bennett, who works from the ambulance station at the Salterns, said the outage was now affecting “some elements of ambulance operations”.

Kate Thomas said she was on the beach when an ambulance was needed and the group struggled to get through and hear instructions from the call handler.

Another commenter said her brother, who is on dialysis and diabetic, lives in Tenby and would struggle to contact anyone in a medical emergency because of the lack of signal.

Parents also raised concerns about being unable to contact children when they are in town, while visitors said they had struggled to use maps, book taxis, contact family, or make arrangements after splitting up from groups.

Tourism impact

Several visitors said the lack of signal made their stay more difficult.

One holidaymaker said they had no signal with Tesco Mobile anywhere in Tenby over the weekend.

Another Vodafone user said they had paid extra for WiFi on an upcoming trip, only for it to be cancelled because of the wider connectivity problems, warning that the issue could affect whether people choose to visit.

Remote workers and caravan owners also said the poor signal was limiting how often they could stay in the area.

Carl Singleton, an EE customer with a caravan near Lydstep, said he was self-employed and used Teams daily, but the signal was not strong enough to work from his caravan. He said the poor mobile network was preventing him from spending more time in Pembrokeshire.

Kathryn South, another EE user with a van near Lydstep, said she could use it more often if she could work from home there, but the internet was “non-existent”.

Mast removal concerns

A number of commenters linked the deterioration in signal to the removal of a mast earlier this year.

Margaret Wales wrote that the mast opposite the cemetery had been shared by all networks and claimed its removal in January was why the signal was now “terrible all over Tenby”.

She said: “You can’t get signal without a mast. Until the networks rebuild it, things won’t change. That’s where the effort needs to be focussed. Rebuild the mast, restore the signal.”

Other users said they had been told by their providers that a mast had been removed or that a site was affected by a rent dispute.

The Herald has not independently verified those claims, but they echo concerns raised by Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP Henry Tufnell in a letter to BT Group.

MP demands answers

Mr Tufnell has written to BT Group asking for an update on the proposed EE mobile base station at Petals Plant Nursery, Strawberry Lane, Penally.

Pembrokeshire County Council has granted planning permission for a new 20-metre 4G telecommunications mast at the site.

In his letter, Mr Tufnell said constituents had also advised him that the telecommunications mast at Slippery Back Lane, Tenby, had been removed but had not yet been replaced.

He said this had reportedly left the Tenby area with very limited mobile phone signal, causing concern for residents and businesses.

Posting online, Mr Tufnell said: “Tenby deserves better phone signal.

“The lack of coverage is failing our residents, local businesses, and tourists. I have taken your concerns directly to EE and BT.

“With summer fast approaching, we need urgent answers and a clear timetable for improvements.”

Call for evidence

Around Tenby said the information being gathered would be pulled together and taken directly to the networks.

The post said: “Right now, poor signal isn’t just frustrating, it’s affecting local businesses, card payments, bookings, and the experience visitors have when they come here.

“The more responses we get, the stronger our case becomes.”

With Tenby preparing for another busy summer season, the scale of the response suggests mobile coverage has become one of the town’s most pressing practical problems.

For residents, it affects daily life. For businesses, it risks lost income. For visitors, it affects payments, parking, maps and bookings. And for some, the concern is now about safety.

Network providers will now face growing pressure to explain what has gone wrong, what temporary measures can be put in place, and when Tenby can expect reliable mobile coverage.

Business

Former Crymych Arms Railway Station ticket office to house plans submitted

Published

18 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A CALL to convert a ticket office to a home at a former Pembrokeshire railway line which closed more than 60 years ago has been lodged with county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Mr James, through agent Harries Planning Design Management seeks permission for the conversion of a ticket office into a dwelling, at the old Ticket Office, Station Road, Crymych.

A supporting statement says: “The building used to serve as the ticket office for the Crymych Arms Railway Station serving both the Whitland and Cardigan Railway. The station closed in 1962, with this building becoming disused.

“Since its closure the building has been used as temporary storage by the owner, who has continued to maintain, fix and repair the building to a state where conversion is possible. The ticket office is semi-detached with a dwelling to the north. The ticket office building comprises faced stone elevations and a slate roof.

“Externally, it is served by overgrown green space to the south and concreted areas to the east and west. There are no known environmental or historical designations on site.”

It goes on to say: “The dwelling will retain the existing form, with no external extensions proposed. Internally, it is proposed to convert the building into a two-bed dwelling, with an open plan kitchen/living/dining area to provide ample space for modern habitation. Garden space is to be provided to the south and west, with lawned gardens and native beech hedging. External materials will remain as existing for the most part, with the windows replaced with heritage style UPVC sash and the existing chimney removed.”

It concludes: “The proposal seeks to retain the external form of the building to conserve its historic impact within the landscape. The proposal seeks to comply with [planning policy] which places open market housing within the settlement boundary of a service village and for the conversion of a historic building which is not being utilised. Therefore, the principle of development is considered acceptable and will contribute to a positive conversion within the landscape.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.

The 27-and-a-half-mile-long Whitland and Cardigan Railway branch line, initially called the Whitland and Taf Vale Railway before becoming the Whitland and Cardigan, reached Crymych in 1874 though a passenger service didn’t start until the following year, with an extension to the edge of Cardigan opening in 1886.

A proposal to close the line, known locally as the Cardi Bach, came a little before the infamous ‘Beeching Axe’ which saw many stations in Wales and elsewhere close; the line closing to passengers in 1962, the last being the 5.45 Cardigan Mail, remaining open to freight traffic for a short while before a final closure in 1963.

Business

Goodwick Bowls Club row with council over signage

Published

19 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE town bowls club’s call on planners to let it keep advertising signs for local businesses which help support its operations has been turned down.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Fishguard & Goodwick Bowls Club, Wern Road, Goodwick sought retrospective permission for up to 36 signs on land close to the town’s Phoenix Centre.

The signs had been in place for some 18 months, being removed ahead of the formal planning application.

A supporting statement accompanying the application says: “This application seeks retrospective consent for the display of up to 36 non-illuminated, single-sided advertisement panels mounted to an existing timber boundary fence.

It said the advertisements are modest in scale, facing an existing large car park rather than nearby residential properties and does not project over any public highway or footpath.

It added: “The advertisement signs have been temporarily removed while planning permission is sought. The advertisements and fence had been in place for approximately 18 months prior to their temporary removal, during which time no complaints were received.

“The total number of advertisements has been consciously limited, and not all fence bays display signage, ensuring that the proposal does not result in harm to visual amenity or public safety.

“The income generated from the advertisements provides an important source of revenue for the Fishguard and Goodwick Bowls Club, supporting the ongoing operation and maintenance of local community sporting facilities.

“The advertising panels also offer local businesses an affordable and accessible means of promotion within the community.”

An officer report recommending refusal said two objections to the scheme were received, raising issues over discrepancies in the application and the scheme having no merit, being “at odds with the established character and appearance of the area”.

The report added: “While it is acknowledged that businesses have a reasonable need to advertise their presence and services, such advertisements must be appropriately sited and designed to ensure they do not detract from the visual amenity of the area.”

It went on to say: “It is considered that the proposed advertisements are inappropriately sited relative to their functional purpose. The cumulative impact arising from the proliferation of signage in close proximity, extending along the entirety of the boundary fencing, results in a visually cluttered and intrusive form of development.

“Furthermore, the scale and number of the proposed 36 advertisement boards is considered excessive and not reasonably necessary, giving rise to a harmful impact on the visual amenity of the surrounding area.”

The application was refused by planners on the grounds it was “an excessive concentration of signage within the locality, creating visual clutter that would harm the visual amenity and undermine the character and appearance of the site and its surroundings”.

Business

Holiday accommodation conversion of historic farm buildings approved

Published

19 hours ago

June 13, 2026

Bruce Sinclair - Local Democracy Reporter

PLANS to convert historic farm buildings near north Pembrokeshire’s Whitesands beach for use as holiday accommodation have been given the go-ahead, but their use doesn’t have to be restricted to just that purpose.

In an application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Matthew James of James Properties, through agent Harries Planning Design Management sought permission for the conversion of two derelict barns to two self-catering holiday accommodation units at Porthmawr Ganol, Whitesands, St Davids.

An officer report said: “The farmstead occupies a prominent position within a landscape characterised by open agricultural fields enclosed predominantly by traditional dry-stone walls, exposed coastal pasture and areas of heathland associated with Carn Llidi.”

It added: “The site lies within the Porthmawr Historic Landscape Character Area, an area recognised for its historic pattern of dispersed settlement, traditional farmsteads, dry-stone wall field boundaries and evidence of medieval and post-medieval agricultural activity.

“The retention and reuse of the existing buildings therefore has the potential to preserve an important element of the area’s historic landscape character whilst securing a viable long-term future for structures that would otherwise continue to deteriorate.”

It said that insufficient evidence had initially been submitted to demonstrate that the buildings were unsuitable for permanent residential conversion and only for self-catering accommodation and therefore an affordable housing contribution should be secured.

Policy would lead to a contribution of £36,400, the report said, but a financial viability assessment by the applicant “demonstrated that the development would not be viable if required to provide the full policy contribution,” the maximum contribution capable of being supported whilst maintaining viability was £12,641.

This reduced figure was accepted, the officer report saying: “Whilst this represents a reduced contribution when compared with the full policy requirement, the submitted viability evidence demonstrates that the development could not reasonably support the full contribution whilst remaining deliverable.

“In these circumstances, securing a reduced contribution is considered preferable to losing the opportunity to secure the restoration and beneficial reuse of the historic buildings.”

It stated that, with the affordable contribution, the scheme would not be limited to self-catering development only.

The application was conditionally approved by Park planners.