FISHGUARD and Goodwick’s Chamber of Trade and Tourism has expressed strong opposition to the possibility of relocating the town’s police station to the front of Fishguard Town Hall.

As the Western Telegraph reported earlier this month, Fishguard police station is to be closed as it is deemed unviable.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Dafydd Llywelyn, is currently consulting on three options on a police base in the town.

These are:

1 – Remain in the current station until the new community hub collaboration project is completed.

2 – Relocate to the Town Hall as an interim base while the community hub collaboration project is completed.

3 – Relocate to the current Fishguard Port offices and coordinate the use of a town centre meeting room for public one-to-one meetings.

The chamber of trade has expressed opposition to the second option, which would see a police presence in the entrance to the town hall, where the current Pembrokeshire County Council customer service centre and tourist information is located.

There are fears that such a conspicuous position would give the wrong impression of Fishguard and that the floor to ceiling windows of the present office would have to be blacked out to ensure privacy, giving a dark and unsightly first impression to visitors and creating an adverse effect on tourism.

“When the police commissioner asked the businesses attending the meeting their view of the police station being placed in the front of the Town Hall, there was unanimous opposition,” said secretary, Jeremy Martineau, on behalf of the chamber.

“To give visitors an impression that this community needs such a prominent position for the police is the wrong impression.

“The beautiful, ceiling-high plate glass of the current TIC would be entirely blacked out to provide privacy for the officers, on the few occasions that they would be there, and give a dark and secretive first impression of our Town Hall to locals and visitors alike.”

Mr Martineau added that, in the opinion of the chamber, the Town Hall was neither the best, nor the cheapest, place to provide a base for the small number of officers and PCSOs based in the twin towns.

The consultation will run until Friday, November 30. Residents will also be able to have their say on the three options via an online survey at http://bit.ly/FishguardPoliceStation.

People can also contact the commissioner’s office on (01267) 226 440.