PEOPLE flocked to Fishguard Town Hall last week to see plans which will drastically change the town centre and to talk to representatives from Pembrokeshire County Council and consultants Atkins.

Phase Two of The Chimney's Link Masterplan involves the redevelopment of 1.5 hectares of land in Fishguard town centre. It will include construction of new link road and other works including a bus/coach stop, alterations to the existing Co-op store, demolition of Transition Bro Gwaun's café, the former Fishguard Junior School buildings and part of the old library.

Former proposals to also create accommodation, shops and a hotel are not included in the current planning application.

Plans to widen pavements in the town will only be able to be implemented, subject to Welsh Government approval, once the one way system, afforded by the link road, is put in place.

Rob Hamer, Pembrokeshire County Council's project manager for the scheme, said the authority was willing to listen to public feedback, which needed to be made through the planning system.

"We listen to everybody, when we can take on comments we will," he said. "We had a pre-planning consultation last year and have taken on board feedback from that; the roundabout on the Golden Mile has been removed and replaced with a junction and we have introduced raised crossings."

Mr Hamer added that the whole scheme is a result of consultations with the community between 2003 and 2006, where the problem of the town's narrow pavements were flagged up.

He said that if things went well the new road layout could be complete by late summer next year.

County Councillor Myles Pepper called the road a "golden opportunity" for the town.

"This is an opportunity to link the town with the park," he said. "People can come into town, do a bit of shopping and relax in the park. It's a golden opportunity.

"I would thank all those who made representations and encourage them to do so until the last minute.

"Anybody who has made representations or voiced concerns in the pre-planning process needs to do so again through the planning process as the pre-planning comments aren't taken into account."

Frances Chivers, secretary of Fishguard and Goodwick Community Forum attended the exhibition to launch a petition about the lack of public toilets in the plans.

"They have stated that we don't need toilets because we have the town hall," she said. But the town hall shuts in the evening and on Sunday. We need 24 hour automatic cleaning toilets."

Her concerns were echoed by Jeremey Martineau, secretary of Fishguard and Goodwick Chamber of Trade.

"They should spend some extra money to get some 24 hour pay-as-you-go toilets. This is a tourist town. Do we say to people you have to cross your legs for three hours?" he said.

Mr Martineau added that he was delighted that there was space for a coach drop off but expressed disappointment at the plans to demolish the popular Transition Café.

"This is the first phase of the development. The second phase is what we want as a community to do with the rest of the land?," he said.

The public now has an extra two weeks to comment on the plans. Representations can made via the county council's planning portal or by e-mailing planning.support.team@pembrokeshire.gov.uk, quoting the planning application reference number (17/0422/PA), giving the site address and your full name and postal address.

Comments can now be made up until September 22. The application will go before the county council's planning committee on October 3.