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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act. The hearing then resumed in open session. The key concerns that were raised were the overcrowding of the licenced area and lack of crowd control which had been evident in 2025 when crowds had far exceeded the expectation particularly as the event site had sheer drops from harbour walls and narrow roads. The Sub-Committee were shown photographs demonstrating the level of attendance at the event. The Chief Inspector highlighted concerns that, should an emergency take place, the rescue operation would be severely hindered by the volume of attendees. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority (MAWWFA) had attended the location and calculated a safe capacity, based on the exit strategy to be approximately 1600 people. The Chief Inspector acknowledged that fireworks events attract 1000’s of spectators however, that did not take place within a licensable area and was not under steward control. The Chief Inspector further highlighted that access to limited viewing areas can lead to crowd surges, particularly when the fireworks were due to be launched and highlighted particular concerns at that time. It was noted that there had not been any road closures in place at the 2025 event which resulted in vehicles endeavouring to push through the dense crowds which again, highlighted great concerns. The Sub-Committee were advised that road closures had been planned for future events. The Chief Inspector clarified that Dyfed Powys Police were more than happy to engage in constructive dialogue with Tenby Round Table to inform their EMP. It was noted that the volume of people, the close proximity and narrow streets could cause a logistically difficult situation for police and other emergency services. The licence currently stated that all events would have a minimum of six SIA licenced door personnel, however this was not sufficient and did not satisfy the concerns from Dyfed Powys Police to meet the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder. The Chief Inspector emphasised that it was clear that significantly more than six SIA licensed door personnel would be required to meet the licensing objectives. The Chief Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table should ensure consideration for the implementation of the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025, known as Martins Law and demonstrate what procedures and measures they would put in place when it becomes mandatory in 2027. The Chair thanked the Chief Inspector for their comprehensive report and invited the Sub-Committee to ask any questions. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the location of the event, the Chief Inspector agreed that Tenby Round Table should consider an alternative site due to the concerns raised. Councillor Carter agreed that this was a very popular event but that it had now outgrown its current location. [The Representative from the All-Wales Ambulance NHS Trust left the meeting at this juncture.] In response to questions raised by the Chair regarding other events that take place in Tenby, the Chief Inspector highlighted that there were road closures in place for those events. The Chief Inspector was unable to answer a further question from the Chair regarding the number of incidents that had taken place within the licensable area during the event. An Officer had submitted a ‘near miss’ report due to the crowds in attendance and the incidents being dealt with. The Inspector advised that a number of incidents dealt with in Tenby each night were not routinely recorded. The Chair then invited the Police Licensing Officer to address the Sub-Committee who highlighted that he worked closely with the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust and St John Ambulance who were the medical provider at the event. The Police Licensing Officer read out the statement from the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust Representative as they had to leave during the meeting. The representation was submitted on the grounds of public safety with additional consideration given to the protection of children from harm and the prevention of public nuisance. They did not seek to prevent events from taking place however, they must be satisfied that appropriate measures were in place to protect life and allow for the safe and effective delivery of emergency medical care. They noted that there were not sufficient mitigating controls in place and during the 2025 event ambulance resources had been required to navigate densely populated pedestrian areas without the benefit of dedicated protected emergency routes. This had resulted in delays in reaching patients and conveying patients to hospital. Attendance levels for the 2025 event were significantly higher than anticipated which resulted in increased crowd density restricting safe movement and increased risk. Specific concerns regarding protection of children from harm were recorded and multiple minors had required emergency medical care. The Chair then invited the Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer to address the Sub-Committee who noted that they had not submitted any formal representations as the event had been managed appropriately from a public nuisance perspective. They had provided some suggested conditions to simplify the management of the event from a noise emission perspective which had mostly been accepted. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding noise complaints, the Pollution Lead Officer advised that they had no complaints regarding noise had been received. The Chair then invited the representative from Mid and West Wales Fire Authority to address the Committee. They advised that they had formally raised concerns in addition to those already highlighted by their colleagues in the other emergency services, regarding capacity and the inadequacy of public safety arrangements for the event including attendance numbers and uncontrolled attendance. In addition, there were concerns regarding the absence of control measures within the licenced area which increased the risk of excessive crowd density, crowd surge, crushing or related public safety incidents. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority Representative requested that the Sub-Committee give consideration to the inclusion of conditions on overall crowd management including areas outside of the immediate licence boundary, assurance that the emergency access routes are maintained, controlled and enforced at all times throughout the event and submission of a revised EMP and risk assessments that accurately reflect the potential attendance and the site constraints. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the road closures, the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority representative advised that if road closures were in place with marshals to allow access for necessary vehicles, that would satisfy their safety concerns. The Chair then invited the Licensing Inspector to address the Sub-Committee. The Licensing Inspector advised that, the Tenby Summer Spectacular was no longer a family-oriented event and had become a potentially dangerous event with an incident waiting to happen. The Inspector clarified that a TENS was for a maximum of 499 attendees and concerns had been raised since approximately 2013 when complaints had been received due to the volume of attendees at the event. It had been previously recommended that Tenby Round Table, Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club submit a premises licence application. As sale of alcohol would require a designated Premises Supervisor no individual organisation would take on that responsibility. Therefore, the sale of alcohol continued to be authorised under a TENs within the licensed area. A premises licence was issued to the three organisations to authorise the entertainment.. During the Pandemic, no events had taken place and both Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club had not wanted to continue organising events and the organisation fell solely to Tenby Round Table. The Inspector clarified that road closures would stop vehicles but not pedestrians who converged on narrow streets. During a mediation meeting, it had been suggested that the event could take place on a different site but Tenby Round Table were not agreeable to that change. The Inspector emphasised the attendance at the hearing by Senior Officers in the emergency services which highlighted the seriousness of concerns. The Licensing Inspector clarified that there had been many conversations and meetings with Tenby Round Table but felt that their emphasis was on collecting money for charity and not for the licensing objectives. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular Event, the Licensing Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table had cancelled the event for 2026 via social media. The Chair thanked the Licensing Inspector for their comments and invited the Public Realm Manager, The Head of Transport and Operations and the Harbour Master to address the Sub-Committee. The Head of Transport and Operations addressed the sub-committee and highlighted that Tenby was an iconic area and the Harbour Team supported the event and recognised the significant contribution it makes to the local community and visitor economy. However, she emphasised that it had become a victim of its own success. It was further highlighted that this was a working harbour with a significant number of boats coming in and out of the harbour every single hour of the day. In addition, the event regularly extends beyond the licenced premises and impacts on the harbour land, public beach areas, adjacent highways and access routes throughout the harbour estate. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair invited the representatives from the Tenby Round Table to address the Sub-Committee. The representative highlighted that they were attending to request a reasonable and proportionate assessment of the premises licence on behalf of Tenby Round Table. They were speaking on behalf of the dozens of charitable causes they support, the elderly residents of Tenby who attend a free Christmas dinner funded by the proceeds of these events and the sporting organisations that were sponsored. Over the past two years alone, the Tenby Summer Spectacular had raised over £50K for good causes. The representative explained that the Tenby Summer Spectacular was an event that fluctuates and emphasised that they took public safety and the four licensing objectives very seriously. The Sub-Committee were advised that they had proactively sought to close the surrounding area to Tenby Harbour in the interest of public safety however, this request had gone unanswered by the relative parties. They highlighted that they were an organisation of volunteers and were not paid to attend the meeting and gained nothing from the outcome of the hearing. They felt that engagement with the relevant authority’s had been constructive. They noted that the representation from Dyfed Powys Police had advised that no public safety advisor was present at the 2025 event in a formal capacity however, the observations regarding crowd density had been from an advisor that attended as part of the event, however, a formal public safety advisor report had not been produced. The ‘near miss’ event reported by the Chief Inspector had been the reason for proposed road closures for future events. The Tenby Round Table representatives had been advised of five phone calls to the Police on the evening of 24 August 2025 relating to anti-social behaviour, drug use, traffic congestion, underage drinking and exposure, none of which were within the licensed area. Tenby Round Table had requested information regarding the specific incidents and concerns underpinning their representation and the response stated that there were three reported incidents, again none of which had taken place within the licensed area. No reported incidents related to the Tenby Summer Spectacular or to the licensed area. In addition, the Tenby Round Table representative highlighted that the main problem had not arisen from the licensed area or the licensing objectives, but from the sheer volume of people now visiting Tenby who chose to attend events such as Tenby Summer Spectacular. Tenby Round Table had repeatedly questioned whether they could lawfully restrict access into a licenced area once a safe, agreed capacity had been reached. They had not received a clear written response and had therefore been unable to finalise their EMP. In addition, they had asked Pembrokeshire County Council to identify which statutory mechanism it considered appropriate for the temporary restriction of public access through the licensed area within seven days. The draft EMP was produced in April 2026 and sent to the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) but it had not been circulated and therefore Dyfed Powys Police had not received it. Tenby Round Table had made numerous requests for information and support much of which had gone unanswered which had resulted in the decision to cancel the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular. The Representative emphasised that they were requesting the event remain in the Harbour and that a licence that reflects current best practice embedding a requirement for an annual EMP to be agreed. The Chair thanked the Tenby Round Table representative and invited questions from the Sub-Committee and other attendees at the meeting. The key points were highlighted as follows: The Chief Inspector advised that raising funds should not compromise public safety and that previous events should not be relied upon. He emphasised that the potential for problems at the event had been clearly identified. The Tenby Round Table representative declared that they felt it was the responsibility of the Sub-Committee to advise the number of SIA approved door people that were required. The Sub-Committee were further advised that Tenby Round Table were keen to continue working on the draft EMP and would be taking into consideration the comments made during the hearing. The Head of Transport and Operations explained that the location of the event was problematic due to the working harbour and the access to the beach, they had therefore sought external counsel due to the complexity of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Section 16A legislation on road closures to ensure the correct advice was given. The Tenby Round Table representative questioned the legislation and sought clarity on the information provided by the Head of Transport and Operations and the Chair declared a short break for the paperwork to be disclosed. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair welcomed everyone back to the hearing and invited the Head of Transport and Operations to clarify the position. They advised that the information provided regarding road closures and ‘zigzags’ in the roads was to be treated in the context of the specific operational requirements of the event it was provided for. They concerned temporary closures of public rights using the Norton and North Beach zigzag path to facilitate the safe movement of athletes during an event. However, this did not prevent public access to North Beach as an alternative access route remained available. This did not therefore set a precedent for restricting public access in all circumstances and Section 16A legislation would have to be considered on its own merits when taking into the account the nature of the event and justification of the restriction. The Head of Transport and Operations emphasised that Section 16A powers were intended to facilitate sporting social entertainment events where restrictions were necessary and proportionate rather than as a blanket justification and agreed to take on the viewpoint of the Tenby Round Table. Any disagreement regarding the interpretation of the Authority would need to be undertaken via a judicial review. The Chair emphasised the reasons for the hearing being the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm at the event. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding fencing of the licensed area, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that no alcohol could be brought into the licensed area with SIA qualified door personnel at each entry and exit point who would perform bag searches where they felt relevant. However, the representative clarified that they were not able to control access via fencing as people have a public right of way and we cannot stop them. Councillor Carter then sought clarification on whether they were able search bags when people were visiting a public beach. The representative explained that they were not able to control access and they agreed with the concerns on how this can be conducted legally. In further remarks, Councillor Carter noted that whilst many visitors were attending to enjoy the beach and listen to music, once the tide comes in, the area was reduced significantly which could result in several hundred people in a small area at the harbour. In response to a suggestion raised by Councillor Carter regarding the event having outgrown the location and potentially seeking an alternative, the representative disagreed explaining that people attend the event because of its location in Tenby Harbour. A query was made by Councillor Carter in relation to the call-in of the event by the emergency services and the Tenby Round Table representative explained that the event had a clean record of safety and that a review of the EMP would have been more appropriate. However, it was recognised that this was a mechanism to update the licence. The Chief Inspector clarified that it was reasonably foreseeable that the unfavourable conditions could happen again which was the reason for calling for a review of the licence. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that both she and the Licensing Inspector had attended a meeting with the Tenby Round Table in April to discuss updating the licence however, there had been no appetite to review the conditions from Tenby Round Table. The online Tenby Round Table representative explained that he had attended the April meeting and advised that they had been invited to amend the licence but that no suggestions were made. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that the Licensing Department could only provide advice and that it was the responsibility of the License Holder to make any amendments. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the number of SIA Door staff and Tenby Round Table volunteers that had been in attendance at the 2025 event, the representative advised that there had been 20 to 25 volunteers with six SIA door personnel. The Chair clarified that there were approximately 3000 attendees at the event. Following observations made by Councillor Billy Shaw regarding attendance figures quoted in the draft EMP, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that they would need to consult a professional in order to calculate the potential number of attendees. However, this would carry a cost of £4-5000 for a process that may not continue and advised that the 3,000 estimate was a place holder. The Chair suggested that the fireworks could take place at a different venue to the Tenby Summer Spectacular however, the representative noted that this would require moving a large amount of people which carried an increased risk to children and families. Councillor Mark Carter emphasised that this was a wonderful event that had outgrown its location. In summarising, the Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and explained that Dyfed Powys Police had requested a review of the licence and the Sub-Committee will need to consider the four licensing objectives. The Chair then invited the Solicitor to present the options that were available to the Sub-Committee. The Chair advised that the Licensing Sub-Committee would carefully consider the matters presented during this hearing. However, due to the complexity of the issues involved, the Sub-Committee would not be issuing its decision today. In accordance with the relevant regulations, the decision will be provided in writing within five working days, beginning on the day after the conclusion of this hearing. The parties will receive notification of the decision within this timeframe. Exclusion of the public was then Moved by Councillor Time Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the current item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Sub-Committee then retired to undertake its considerations. The Sub-Committee advised of their decision within the five working days as follows: DECISION The Licensing Sub-Committee has carefully considered the application to review the premises licence made by Dyfed Powys Police. The Sub-committee notes the extent of the severity of the representations’ made by the police which were made by the Chief Inspector who was present at together with the Inspector. It has also considered the representations made by Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer, Pembrokeshire County Council Licensing Inspector, Pembrokeshire County Council Harbour Team, the severity of those representations, the representations made by Tenby Round Table and everything it has heard during the review hearing. Relevant documents are contained within the agenda pack. For the record, the Sub-Committee has concluded that the application for the review was properly made. The Sub-Committee has made its decision based on the representations it considers relevant to the issues before the Sub-Committee which are whether the licensing objectives of public safety and the prevention of children from harm are being maintained. This Sub-Committee recognises the charitable work undertaken by Tenby Round Table the significant contribution the event makes to the local and visitor economy together with the money raised for local charities. However, the prime focus must be maintaining public safety and the protection of children from harm. The Sub-Committee has concerns that due to the growth and popularity of the event, that it has outgrown its current environment. It should be remembered that the event area and surrounding is a working harbour and that access to the harbour and to the beach must be managed and maintained. This Sub-Committee has considered the representations made by Tenby Round Table for the temporary restriction of the public to the beach during the event and the representations made by PCC officers in response to this. The Sub-Committee noted the need for public access to the beach through the premises licensed area and the safety of those entering and returning from the public beach. Concerns were also raised by the Sub-Committee about should the tide come in whilst the event was on, then it would force attendees on the beach area back into the licensable area with the potential for a crush happening. The Sub-Committee have concerns over the lack of specified numbers permitted to attend the event within the licensable area. There are also concerns about the numbers of people viewing the event from the surrounding streets and a lack of crowd management strategies. There are also concerns how emergency vehicles would gain access if required. The Sub-Committee does not consider that the public safety and the protection of children from harm objectives have been promoted by this licence, therefore the premises licence is revoked. RESOLVED That the premises licence be revoked.
There were no Non-Committee Members in attendance.
There were no Declarations of Interest made.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act. The hearing then resumed in open session. The key concerns that were raised were the overcrowding of the licenced area and lack of crowd control which had been evident in 2025 when crowds had far exceeded the expectation particularly as the event site had sheer drops from harbour walls and narrow roads. The Sub-Committee were shown photographs demonstrating the level of attendance at the event. The Chief Inspector highlighted concerns that, should an emergency take place, the rescue operation would be severely hindered by the volume of attendees. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority (MAWWFA) had attended the location and calculated a safe capacity, based on the exit strategy to be approximately 1600 people. The Chief Inspector acknowledged that fireworks events attract 1000’s of spectators however, that did not take place within a licensable area and was not under steward control. The Chief Inspector further highlighted that access to limited viewing areas can lead to crowd surges, particularly when the fireworks were due to be launched and highlighted particular concerns at that time. It was noted that there had not been any road closures in place at the 2025 event which resulted in vehicles endeavouring to push through the dense crowds which again, highlighted great concerns. The Sub-Committee were advised that road closures had been planned for future events. The Chief Inspector clarified that Dyfed Powys Police were more than happy to engage in constructive dialogue with Tenby Round Table to inform their EMP. It was noted that the volume of people, the close proximity and narrow streets could cause a logistically difficult situation for police and other emergency services. The licence currently stated that all events would have a minimum of six SIA licenced door personnel, however this was not sufficient and did not satisfy the concerns from Dyfed Powys Police to meet the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder. The Chief Inspector emphasised that it was clear that significantly more than six SIA licensed door personnel would be required to meet the licensing objectives. The Chief Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table should ensure consideration for the implementation of the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025, known as Martins Law and demonstrate what procedures and measures they would put in place when it becomes mandatory in 2027. The Chair thanked the Chief Inspector for their comprehensive report and invited the Sub-Committee to ask any questions. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the location of the event, the Chief Inspector agreed that Tenby Round Table should consider an alternative site due to the concerns raised. Councillor Carter agreed that this was a very popular event but that it had now outgrown its current location. [The Representative from the All-Wales Ambulance NHS Trust left the meeting at this juncture.] In response to questions raised by the Chair regarding other events that take place in Tenby, the Chief Inspector highlighted that there were road closures in place for those events. The Chief Inspector was unable to answer a further question from the Chair regarding the number of incidents that had taken place within the licensable area during the event. An Officer had submitted a ‘near miss’ report due to the crowds in attendance and the incidents being dealt with. The Inspector advised that a number of incidents dealt with in Tenby each night were not routinely recorded. The Chair then invited the Police Licensing Officer to address the Sub-Committee who highlighted that he worked closely with the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust and St John Ambulance who were the medical provider at the event. The Police Licensing Officer read out the statement from the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust Representative as they had to leave during the meeting. The representation was submitted on the grounds of public safety with additional consideration given to the protection of children from harm and the prevention of public nuisance. They did not seek to prevent events from taking place however, they must be satisfied that appropriate measures were in place to protect life and allow for the safe and effective delivery of emergency medical care. They noted that there were not sufficient mitigating controls in place and during the 2025 event ambulance resources had been required to navigate densely populated pedestrian areas without the benefit of dedicated protected emergency routes. This had resulted in delays in reaching patients and conveying patients to hospital. Attendance levels for the 2025 event were significantly higher than anticipated which resulted in increased crowd density restricting safe movement and increased risk. Specific concerns regarding protection of children from harm were recorded and multiple minors had required emergency medical care. The Chair then invited the Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer to address the Sub-Committee who noted that they had not submitted any formal representations as the event had been managed appropriately from a public nuisance perspective. They had provided some suggested conditions to simplify the management of the event from a noise emission perspective which had mostly been accepted. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding noise complaints, the Pollution Lead Officer advised that they had no complaints regarding noise had been received. The Chair then invited the representative from Mid and West Wales Fire Authority to address the Committee. They advised that they had formally raised concerns in addition to those already highlighted by their colleagues in the other emergency services, regarding capacity and the inadequacy of public safety arrangements for the event including attendance numbers and uncontrolled attendance. In addition, there were concerns regarding the absence of control measures within the licenced area which increased the risk of excessive crowd density, crowd surge, crushing or related public safety incidents. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority Representative requested that the Sub-Committee give consideration to the inclusion of conditions on overall crowd management including areas outside of the immediate licence boundary, assurance that the emergency access routes are maintained, controlled and enforced at all times throughout the event and submission of a revised EMP and risk assessments that accurately reflect the potential attendance and the site constraints. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the road closures, the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority representative advised that if road closures were in place with marshals to allow access for necessary vehicles, that would satisfy their safety concerns. The Chair then invited the Licensing Inspector to address the Sub-Committee. The Licensing Inspector advised that, the Tenby Summer Spectacular was no longer a family-oriented event and had become a potentially dangerous event with an incident waiting to happen. The Inspector clarified that a TENS was for a maximum of 499 attendees and concerns had been raised since approximately 2013 when complaints had been received due to the volume of attendees at the event. It had been previously recommended that Tenby Round Table, Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club submit a premises licence application. As sale of alcohol would require a designated Premises Supervisor no individual organisation would take on that responsibility. Therefore, the sale of alcohol continued to be authorised under a TENs within the licensed area. A premises licence was issued to the three organisations to authorise the entertainment.. During the Pandemic, no events had taken place and both Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club had not wanted to continue organising events and the organisation fell solely to Tenby Round Table. The Inspector clarified that road closures would stop vehicles but not pedestrians who converged on narrow streets. During a mediation meeting, it had been suggested that the event could take place on a different site but Tenby Round Table were not agreeable to that change. The Inspector emphasised the attendance at the hearing by Senior Officers in the emergency services which highlighted the seriousness of concerns. The Licensing Inspector clarified that there had been many conversations and meetings with Tenby Round Table but felt that their emphasis was on collecting money for charity and not for the licensing objectives. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular Event, the Licensing Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table had cancelled the event for 2026 via social media. The Chair thanked the Licensing Inspector for their comments and invited the Public Realm Manager, The Head of Transport and Operations and the Harbour Master to address the Sub-Committee. The Head of Transport and Operations addressed the sub-committee and highlighted that Tenby was an iconic area and the Harbour Team supported the event and recognised the significant contribution it makes to the local community and visitor economy. However, she emphasised that it had become a victim of its own success. It was further highlighted that this was a working harbour with a significant number of boats coming in and out of the harbour every single hour of the day. In addition, the event regularly extends beyond the licenced premises and impacts on the harbour land, public beach areas, adjacent highways and access routes throughout the harbour estate. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair invited the representatives from the Tenby Round Table to address the Sub-Committee. The representative highlighted that they were attending to request a reasonable and proportionate assessment of the premises licence on behalf of Tenby Round Table. They were speaking on behalf of the dozens of charitable causes they support, the elderly residents of Tenby who attend a free Christmas dinner funded by the proceeds of these events and the sporting organisations that were sponsored. Over the past two years alone, the Tenby Summer Spectacular had raised over £50K for good causes. The representative explained that the Tenby Summer Spectacular was an event that fluctuates and emphasised that they took public safety and the four licensing objectives very seriously. The Sub-Committee were advised that they had proactively sought to close the surrounding area to Tenby Harbour in the interest of public safety however, this request had gone unanswered by the relative parties. They highlighted that they were an organisation of volunteers and were not paid to attend the meeting and gained nothing from the outcome of the hearing. They felt that engagement with the relevant authority’s had been constructive. They noted that the representation from Dyfed Powys Police had advised that no public safety advisor was present at the 2025 event in a formal capacity however, the observations regarding crowd density had been from an advisor that attended as part of the event, however, a formal public safety advisor report had not been produced. The ‘near miss’ event reported by the Chief Inspector had been the reason for proposed road closures for future events. The Tenby Round Table representatives had been advised of five phone calls to the Police on the evening of 24 August 2025 relating to anti-social behaviour, drug use, traffic congestion, underage drinking and exposure, none of which were within the licensed area. Tenby Round Table had requested information regarding the specific incidents and concerns underpinning their representation and the response stated that there were three reported incidents, again none of which had taken place within the licensed area. No reported incidents related to the Tenby Summer Spectacular or to the licensed area. In addition, the Tenby Round Table representative highlighted that the main problem had not arisen from the licensed area or the licensing objectives, but from the sheer volume of people now visiting Tenby who chose to attend events such as Tenby Summer Spectacular. Tenby Round Table had repeatedly questioned whether they could lawfully restrict access into a licenced area once a safe, agreed capacity had been reached. They had not received a clear written response and had therefore been unable to finalise their EMP. In addition, they had asked Pembrokeshire County Council to identify which statutory mechanism it considered appropriate for the temporary restriction of public access through the licensed area within seven days. The draft EMP was produced in April 2026 and sent to the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) but it had not been circulated and therefore Dyfed Powys Police had not received it. Tenby Round Table had made numerous requests for information and support much of which had gone unanswered which had resulted in the decision to cancel the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular. The Representative emphasised that they were requesting the event remain in the Harbour and that a licence that reflects current best practice embedding a requirement for an annual EMP to be agreed. The Chair thanked the Tenby Round Table representative and invited questions from the Sub-Committee and other attendees at the meeting. The key points were highlighted as follows: The Chief Inspector advised that raising funds should not compromise public safety and that previous events should not be relied upon. He emphasised that the potential for problems at the event had been clearly identified. The Tenby Round Table representative declared that they felt it was the responsibility of the Sub-Committee to advise the number of SIA approved door people that were required. The Sub-Committee were further advised that Tenby Round Table were keen to continue working on the draft EMP and would be taking into consideration the comments made during the hearing. The Head of Transport and Operations explained that the location of the event was problematic due to the working harbour and the access to the beach, they had therefore sought external counsel due to the complexity of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Section 16A legislation on road closures to ensure the correct advice was given. The Tenby Round Table representative questioned the legislation and sought clarity on the information provided by the Head of Transport and Operations and the Chair declared a short break for the paperwork to be disclosed. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair welcomed everyone back to the hearing and invited the Head of Transport and Operations to clarify the position. They advised that the information provided regarding road closures and ‘zigzags’ in the roads was to be treated in the context of the specific operational requirements of the event it was provided for. They concerned temporary closures of public rights using the Norton and North Beach zigzag path to facilitate the safe movement of athletes during an event. However, this did not prevent public access to North Beach as an alternative access route remained available. This did not therefore set a precedent for restricting public access in all circumstances and Section 16A legislation would have to be considered on its own merits when taking into the account the nature of the event and justification of the restriction. The Head of Transport and Operations emphasised that Section 16A powers were intended to facilitate sporting social entertainment events where restrictions were necessary and proportionate rather than as a blanket justification and agreed to take on the viewpoint of the Tenby Round Table. Any disagreement regarding the interpretation of the Authority would need to be undertaken via a judicial review. The Chair emphasised the reasons for the hearing being the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm at the event. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding fencing of the licensed area, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that no alcohol could be brought into the licensed area with SIA qualified door personnel at each entry and exit point who would perform bag searches where they felt relevant. However, the representative clarified that they were not able to control access via fencing as people have a public right of way and we cannot stop them. Councillor Carter then sought clarification on whether they were able search bags when people were visiting a public beach. The representative explained that they were not able to control access and they agreed with the concerns on how this can be conducted legally. In further remarks, Councillor Carter noted that whilst many visitors were attending to enjoy the beach and listen to music, once the tide comes in, the area was reduced significantly which could result in several hundred people in a small area at the harbour. In response to a suggestion raised by Councillor Carter regarding the event having outgrown the location and potentially seeking an alternative, the representative disagreed explaining that people attend the event because of its location in Tenby Harbour. A query was made by Councillor Carter in relation to the call-in of the event by the emergency services and the Tenby Round Table representative explained that the event had a clean record of safety and that a review of the EMP would have been more appropriate. However, it was recognised that this was a mechanism to update the licence. The Chief Inspector clarified that it was reasonably foreseeable that the unfavourable conditions could happen again which was the reason for calling for a review of the licence. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that both she and the Licensing Inspector had attended a meeting with the Tenby Round Table in April to discuss updating the licence however, there had been no appetite to review the conditions from Tenby Round Table. The online Tenby Round Table representative explained that he had attended the April meeting and advised that they had been invited to amend the licence but that no suggestions were made. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that the Licensing Department could only provide advice and that it was the responsibility of the License Holder to make any amendments. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the number of SIA Door staff and Tenby Round Table volunteers that had been in attendance at the 2025 event, the representative advised that there had been 20 to 25 volunteers with six SIA door personnel. The Chair clarified that there were approximately 3000 attendees at the event. Following observations made by Councillor Billy Shaw regarding attendance figures quoted in the draft EMP, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that they would need to consult a professional in order to calculate the potential number of attendees. However, this would carry a cost of £4-5000 for a process that may not continue and advised that the 3,000 estimate was a place holder. The Chair suggested that the fireworks could take place at a different venue to the Tenby Summer Spectacular however, the representative noted that this would require moving a large amount of people which carried an increased risk to children and families. Councillor Mark Carter emphasised that this was a wonderful event that had outgrown its location. In summarising, the Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and explained that Dyfed Powys Police had requested a review of the licence and the Sub-Committee will need to consider the four licensing objectives. The Chair then invited the Solicitor to present the options that were available to the Sub-Committee. The Chair advised that the Licensing Sub-Committee would carefully consider the matters presented during this hearing. However, due to the complexity of the issues involved, the Sub-Committee would not be issuing its decision today. In accordance with the relevant regulations, the decision will be provided in writing within five working days, beginning on the day after the conclusion of this hearing. The parties will receive notification of the decision within this timeframe. Exclusion of the public was then Moved by Councillor Time Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the current item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Sub-Committee then retired to undertake its considerations. The Sub-Committee advised of their decision within the five working days as follows: DECISION The Licensing Sub-Committee has carefully considered the application to review the premises licence made by Dyfed Powys Police. The Sub-committee notes the extent of the severity of the representations’ made by the police which were made by the Chief Inspector who was present at together with the Inspector. It has also considered the representations made by Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer, Pembrokeshire County Council Licensing Inspector, Pembrokeshire County Council Harbour Team, the severity of those representations, the representations made by Tenby Round Table and everything it has heard during the review hearing. Relevant documents are contained within the agenda pack. For the record, the Sub-Committee has concluded that the application for the review was properly made. The Sub-Committee has made its decision based on the representations it considers relevant to the issues before the Sub-Committee which are whether the licensing objectives of public safety and the prevention of children from harm are being maintained. This Sub-Committee recognises the charitable work undertaken by Tenby Round Table the significant contribution the event makes to the local and visitor economy together with the money raised for local charities. However, the prime focus must be maintaining public safety and the protection of children from harm. The Sub-Committee has concerns that due to the growth and popularity of the event, that it has outgrown its current environment. It should be remembered that the event area and surrounding is a working harbour and that access to the harbour and to the beach must be managed and maintained. This Sub-Committee has considered the representations made by Tenby Round Table for the temporary restriction of the public to the beach during the event and the representations made by PCC officers in response to this. The Sub-Committee noted the need for public access to the beach through the premises licensed area and the safety of those entering and returning from the public beach. Concerns were also raised by the Sub-Committee about should the tide come in whilst the event was on, then it would force attendees on the beach area back into the licensable area with the potential for a crush happening. The Sub-Committee have concerns over the lack of specified numbers permitted to attend the event within the licensable area. There are also concerns about the numbers of people viewing the event from the surrounding streets and a lack of crowd management strategies. There are also concerns how emergency vehicles would gain access if required. The Sub-Committee does not consider that the public safety and the protection of children from harm objectives have been promoted by this licence, therefore the premises licence is revoked. RESOLVED That the premises licence be revoked.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and invited the Principal Solicitor to outline the procedure for the hearing. The Chair advised that each representing Authority would have the opportunity to present to the Sub-Committee and invited the Lead Licensing Officer to present the reasons for the hearing. The Lead Licensing Officer explained that the current premises licence for the Tenby Summer Spectacular had been issued in 2014 which regulated entertainment for a maximum of five days for the duration of the Summer holiday period. The Lead Licensing Officer further advised that the current licence was held jointly by Tenby Round Table, Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club and covered Tenby Harbour Car Park extending to the top of Penniless Cove Hill. The regulated entertainment was authorised from 1500hrs to 2200hrs when the firework display finale took place. Prior to 2014, the event had been authorised via Temporary Event Notices (TENS) however, the event had grown over the years. Following the submission to review the application, the Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club had consented to transfer the licence into the sole name of the Tenby Round Table. The review application had been received from Dyfed Powys Police Authority. During consultation West Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Team, Pembrokeshire County Council Licencing Team and the Pembrokeshire County Council Harbour Master Team submitted representations supporting the review application, all of whom were represented at the hearing today. The Lead Licensing Officer advised the Sub-Committee that the key concerns were as follows: Public safety concerns with overcrowding within the licensable area and surrounding streets; Lack of effective capacity limits and crowd control; Inadequate ingress and egress for emergency access routes; Risk of falls into the harbour; Risks relating to water; Delays to emergency services response; Potentially inadequate onsite medical provision; and Prevention of Crime and Disorder. The Lead Licensing Officer had undertaken a mediation meeting at County Hall with all interested parties and there had been an indication to agreement on some issues including the requirement of an Event Management Plan (EMP), updated noise conditions (to replace current noise conditions), Alcohol control measures (e.g. Challenge 25, no glass policy) - some already included on current licence, Increased Door Staff and steward training requirements A draft Event Management plan had been provided and circulated however; this was very much a work in progress. No formal agreement had been reached to update any licence conditions prior to the hearing. The Lead Licensing Officer then outlined the options available to the Sub-Committee. The Chair then invited the Chief Inspector from Dyfed Powys Police to present their representations to the Sub-Committee, with the key points highlighted as follows: The Chief Inspector emphasised that Dyfed Powys Police fully support such events and recognise the good work that Tenby Round Table do however; they felt that this event was a disaster waiting to happen. That planning and reliance on past events should not solely be depended on to ensure that future events go ahead without incident. The 2026 event had been reportedly cancelled via social media noting that this would allow time for the event and the application to be reviewed. The event had significantly increased in scale since the original licence was granted in 2014 and current licence conditions were not considered adequate. The Chief Inspector highlighted the key concerns of public safety, specifically the overcrowding within the licensed area. The event was held in an operational maritime harbour which contained extensive unprotected key edges with direct access to open water. The Chief Inspector requested permission for CCTV and body worn camera footage be shown to the Sub-Committee. The Chair advised that the hearing would need to be paused for this to take place. Moved by Councillor Mark Carter; Seconded by Councillor Billy Shaw. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A of the Act. The hearing then resumed in open session. The key concerns that were raised were the overcrowding of the licenced area and lack of crowd control which had been evident in 2025 when crowds had far exceeded the expectation particularly as the event site had sheer drops from harbour walls and narrow roads. The Sub-Committee were shown photographs demonstrating the level of attendance at the event. The Chief Inspector highlighted concerns that, should an emergency take place, the rescue operation would be severely hindered by the volume of attendees. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority (MAWWFA) had attended the location and calculated a safe capacity, based on the exit strategy to be approximately 1600 people. The Chief Inspector acknowledged that fireworks events attract 1000’s of spectators however, that did not take place within a licensable area and was not under steward control. The Chief Inspector further highlighted that access to limited viewing areas can lead to crowd surges, particularly when the fireworks were due to be launched and highlighted particular concerns at that time. It was noted that there had not been any road closures in place at the 2025 event which resulted in vehicles endeavouring to push through the dense crowds which again, highlighted great concerns. The Sub-Committee were advised that road closures had been planned for future events. The Chief Inspector clarified that Dyfed Powys Police were more than happy to engage in constructive dialogue with Tenby Round Table to inform their EMP. It was noted that the volume of people, the close proximity and narrow streets could cause a logistically difficult situation for police and other emergency services. The licence currently stated that all events would have a minimum of six SIA licenced door personnel, however this was not sufficient and did not satisfy the concerns from Dyfed Powys Police to meet the licensing objective of preventing crime and disorder. The Chief Inspector emphasised that it was clear that significantly more than six SIA licensed door personnel would be required to meet the licensing objectives. The Chief Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table should ensure consideration for the implementation of the Terrorism Protection of Premises Act 2025, known as Martins Law and demonstrate what procedures and measures they would put in place when it becomes mandatory in 2027. The Chair thanked the Chief Inspector for their comprehensive report and invited the Sub-Committee to ask any questions. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the location of the event, the Chief Inspector agreed that Tenby Round Table should consider an alternative site due to the concerns raised. Councillor Carter agreed that this was a very popular event but that it had now outgrown its current location. [The Representative from the All-Wales Ambulance NHS Trust left the meeting at this juncture.] In response to questions raised by the Chair regarding other events that take place in Tenby, the Chief Inspector highlighted that there were road closures in place for those events. The Chief Inspector was unable to answer a further question from the Chair regarding the number of incidents that had taken place within the licensable area during the event. An Officer had submitted a ‘near miss’ report due to the crowds in attendance and the incidents being dealt with. The Inspector advised that a number of incidents dealt with in Tenby each night were not routinely recorded. The Chair then invited the Police Licensing Officer to address the Sub-Committee who highlighted that he worked closely with the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust and St John Ambulance who were the medical provider at the event. The Police Licensing Officer read out the statement from the All-Wales Ambulance Service NHS Trust Representative as they had to leave during the meeting. The representation was submitted on the grounds of public safety with additional consideration given to the protection of children from harm and the prevention of public nuisance. They did not seek to prevent events from taking place however, they must be satisfied that appropriate measures were in place to protect life and allow for the safe and effective delivery of emergency medical care. They noted that there were not sufficient mitigating controls in place and during the 2025 event ambulance resources had been required to navigate densely populated pedestrian areas without the benefit of dedicated protected emergency routes. This had resulted in delays in reaching patients and conveying patients to hospital. Attendance levels for the 2025 event were significantly higher than anticipated which resulted in increased crowd density restricting safe movement and increased risk. Specific concerns regarding protection of children from harm were recorded and multiple minors had required emergency medical care. The Chair then invited the Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer to address the Sub-Committee who noted that they had not submitted any formal representations as the event had been managed appropriately from a public nuisance perspective. They had provided some suggested conditions to simplify the management of the event from a noise emission perspective which had mostly been accepted. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding noise complaints, the Pollution Lead Officer advised that they had no complaints regarding noise had been received. The Chair then invited the representative from Mid and West Wales Fire Authority to address the Committee. They advised that they had formally raised concerns in addition to those already highlighted by their colleagues in the other emergency services, regarding capacity and the inadequacy of public safety arrangements for the event including attendance numbers and uncontrolled attendance. In addition, there were concerns regarding the absence of control measures within the licenced area which increased the risk of excessive crowd density, crowd surge, crushing or related public safety incidents. The Mid and West Wales Fire Authority Representative requested that the Sub-Committee give consideration to the inclusion of conditions on overall crowd management including areas outside of the immediate licence boundary, assurance that the emergency access routes are maintained, controlled and enforced at all times throughout the event and submission of a revised EMP and risk assessments that accurately reflect the potential attendance and the site constraints. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding the road closures, the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority representative advised that if road closures were in place with marshals to allow access for necessary vehicles, that would satisfy their safety concerns. The Chair then invited the Licensing Inspector to address the Sub-Committee. The Licensing Inspector advised that, the Tenby Summer Spectacular was no longer a family-oriented event and had become a potentially dangerous event with an incident waiting to happen. The Inspector clarified that a TENS was for a maximum of 499 attendees and concerns had been raised since approximately 2013 when complaints had been received due to the volume of attendees at the event. It had been previously recommended that Tenby Round Table, Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club submit a premises licence application. As sale of alcohol would require a designated Premises Supervisor no individual organisation would take on that responsibility. Therefore, the sale of alcohol continued to be authorised under a TENs within the licensed area. A premises licence was issued to the three organisations to authorise the entertainment.. During the Pandemic, no events had taken place and both Tenby Lions and Tenby Rotary Club had not wanted to continue organising events and the organisation fell solely to Tenby Round Table. The Inspector clarified that road closures would stop vehicles but not pedestrians who converged on narrow streets. During a mediation meeting, it had been suggested that the event could take place on a different site but Tenby Round Table were not agreeable to that change. The Inspector emphasised the attendance at the hearing by Senior Officers in the emergency services which highlighted the seriousness of concerns. The Licensing Inspector clarified that there had been many conversations and meetings with Tenby Round Table but felt that their emphasis was on collecting money for charity and not for the licensing objectives. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular Event, the Licensing Inspector advised that Tenby Round Table had cancelled the event for 2026 via social media. The Chair thanked the Licensing Inspector for their comments and invited the Public Realm Manager, The Head of Transport and Operations and the Harbour Master to address the Sub-Committee. The Head of Transport and Operations addressed the sub-committee and highlighted that Tenby was an iconic area and the Harbour Team supported the event and recognised the significant contribution it makes to the local community and visitor economy. However, she emphasised that it had become a victim of its own success. It was further highlighted that this was a working harbour with a significant number of boats coming in and out of the harbour every single hour of the day. In addition, the event regularly extends beyond the licenced premises and impacts on the harbour land, public beach areas, adjacent highways and access routes throughout the harbour estate. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair invited the representatives from the Tenby Round Table to address the Sub-Committee. The representative highlighted that they were attending to request a reasonable and proportionate assessment of the premises licence on behalf of Tenby Round Table. They were speaking on behalf of the dozens of charitable causes they support, the elderly residents of Tenby who attend a free Christmas dinner funded by the proceeds of these events and the sporting organisations that were sponsored. Over the past two years alone, the Tenby Summer Spectacular had raised over £50K for good causes. The representative explained that the Tenby Summer Spectacular was an event that fluctuates and emphasised that they took public safety and the four licensing objectives very seriously. The Sub-Committee were advised that they had proactively sought to close the surrounding area to Tenby Harbour in the interest of public safety however, this request had gone unanswered by the relative parties. They highlighted that they were an organisation of volunteers and were not paid to attend the meeting and gained nothing from the outcome of the hearing. They felt that engagement with the relevant authority’s had been constructive. They noted that the representation from Dyfed Powys Police had advised that no public safety advisor was present at the 2025 event in a formal capacity however, the observations regarding crowd density had been from an advisor that attended as part of the event, however, a formal public safety advisor report had not been produced. The ‘near miss’ event reported by the Chief Inspector had been the reason for proposed road closures for future events. The Tenby Round Table representatives had been advised of five phone calls to the Police on the evening of 24 August 2025 relating to anti-social behaviour, drug use, traffic congestion, underage drinking and exposure, none of which were within the licensed area. Tenby Round Table had requested information regarding the specific incidents and concerns underpinning their representation and the response stated that there were three reported incidents, again none of which had taken place within the licensed area. No reported incidents related to the Tenby Summer Spectacular or to the licensed area. In addition, the Tenby Round Table representative highlighted that the main problem had not arisen from the licensed area or the licensing objectives, but from the sheer volume of people now visiting Tenby who chose to attend events such as Tenby Summer Spectacular. Tenby Round Table had repeatedly questioned whether they could lawfully restrict access into a licenced area once a safe, agreed capacity had been reached. They had not received a clear written response and had therefore been unable to finalise their EMP. In addition, they had asked Pembrokeshire County Council to identify which statutory mechanism it considered appropriate for the temporary restriction of public access through the licensed area within seven days. The draft EMP was produced in April 2026 and sent to the Event Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) but it had not been circulated and therefore Dyfed Powys Police had not received it. Tenby Round Table had made numerous requests for information and support much of which had gone unanswered which had resulted in the decision to cancel the 2026 Tenby Summer Spectacular. The Representative emphasised that they were requesting the event remain in the Harbour and that a licence that reflects current best practice embedding a requirement for an annual EMP to be agreed. The Chair thanked the Tenby Round Table representative and invited questions from the Sub-Committee and other attendees at the meeting. The key points were highlighted as follows: The Chief Inspector advised that raising funds should not compromise public safety and that previous events should not be relied upon. He emphasised that the potential for problems at the event had been clearly identified. The Tenby Round Table representative declared that they felt it was the responsibility of the Sub-Committee to advise the number of SIA approved door people that were required. The Sub-Committee were further advised that Tenby Round Table were keen to continue working on the draft EMP and would be taking into consideration the comments made during the hearing. The Head of Transport and Operations explained that the location of the event was problematic due to the working harbour and the access to the beach, they had therefore sought external counsel due to the complexity of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 Section 16A legislation on road closures to ensure the correct advice was given. The Tenby Round Table representative questioned the legislation and sought clarity on the information provided by the Head of Transport and Operations and the Chair declared a short break for the paperwork to be disclosed. [The meeting adjourned for a short break at this juncture.] The Chair welcomed everyone back to the hearing and invited the Head of Transport and Operations to clarify the position. They advised that the information provided regarding road closures and ‘zigzags’ in the roads was to be treated in the context of the specific operational requirements of the event it was provided for. They concerned temporary closures of public rights using the Norton and North Beach zigzag path to facilitate the safe movement of athletes during an event. However, this did not prevent public access to North Beach as an alternative access route remained available. This did not therefore set a precedent for restricting public access in all circumstances and Section 16A legislation would have to be considered on its own merits when taking into the account the nature of the event and justification of the restriction. The Head of Transport and Operations emphasised that Section 16A powers were intended to facilitate sporting social entertainment events where restrictions were necessary and proportionate rather than as a blanket justification and agreed to take on the viewpoint of the Tenby Round Table. Any disagreement regarding the interpretation of the Authority would need to be undertaken via a judicial review. The Chair emphasised the reasons for the hearing being the prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm at the event. In response to a question raised by Councillor Mark Carter regarding fencing of the licensed area, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that no alcohol could be brought into the licensed area with SIA qualified door personnel at each entry and exit point who would perform bag searches where they felt relevant. However, the representative clarified that they were not able to control access via fencing as people have a public right of way and we cannot stop them. Councillor Carter then sought clarification on whether they were able search bags when people were visiting a public beach. The representative explained that they were not able to control access and they agreed with the concerns on how this can be conducted legally. In further remarks, Councillor Carter noted that whilst many visitors were attending to enjoy the beach and listen to music, once the tide comes in, the area was reduced significantly which could result in several hundred people in a small area at the harbour. In response to a suggestion raised by Councillor Carter regarding the event having outgrown the location and potentially seeking an alternative, the representative disagreed explaining that people attend the event because of its location in Tenby Harbour. A query was made by Councillor Carter in relation to the call-in of the event by the emergency services and the Tenby Round Table representative explained that the event had a clean record of safety and that a review of the EMP would have been more appropriate. However, it was recognised that this was a mechanism to update the licence. The Chief Inspector clarified that it was reasonably foreseeable that the unfavourable conditions could happen again which was the reason for calling for a review of the licence. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that both she and the Licensing Inspector had attended a meeting with the Tenby Round Table in April to discuss updating the licence however, there had been no appetite to review the conditions from Tenby Round Table. The online Tenby Round Table representative explained that he had attended the April meeting and advised that they had been invited to amend the licence but that no suggestions were made. The Lead Licensing Officer clarified that the Licensing Department could only provide advice and that it was the responsibility of the License Holder to make any amendments. In response to a question raised by the Chair regarding the number of SIA Door staff and Tenby Round Table volunteers that had been in attendance at the 2025 event, the representative advised that there had been 20 to 25 volunteers with six SIA door personnel. The Chair clarified that there were approximately 3000 attendees at the event. Following observations made by Councillor Billy Shaw regarding attendance figures quoted in the draft EMP, the Tenby Round Table representative advised that they would need to consult a professional in order to calculate the potential number of attendees. However, this would carry a cost of £4-5000 for a process that may not continue and advised that the 3,000 estimate was a place holder. The Chair suggested that the fireworks could take place at a different venue to the Tenby Summer Spectacular however, the representative noted that this would require moving a large amount of people which carried an increased risk to children and families. Councillor Mark Carter emphasised that this was a wonderful event that had outgrown its location. In summarising, the Chair thanked everyone for their attendance and explained that Dyfed Powys Police had requested a review of the licence and the Sub-Committee will need to consider the four licensing objectives. The Chair then invited the Solicitor to present the options that were available to the Sub-Committee. The Chair advised that the Licensing Sub-Committee would carefully consider the matters presented during this hearing. However, due to the complexity of the issues involved, the Sub-Committee would not be issuing its decision today. In accordance with the relevant regulations, the decision will be provided in writing within five working days, beginning on the day after the conclusion of this hearing. The parties will receive notification of the decision within this timeframe. Exclusion of the public was then Moved by Councillor Time Evans; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded from the Meeting for consideration of the current item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information under Paragraphs 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act. The Sub-Committee then retired to undertake its considerations. The Sub-Committee advised of their decision within the five working days as follows: DECISION The Licensing Sub-Committee has carefully considered the application to review the premises licence made by Dyfed Powys Police. The Sub-committee notes the extent of the severity of the representations’ made by the police which were made by the Chief Inspector who was present at together with the Inspector. It has also considered the representations made by Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, Mid and West Wales Fire Authority, Pembrokeshire County Council Pollution Lead Officer, Pembrokeshire County Council Licensing Inspector, Pembrokeshire County Council Harbour Team, the severity of those representations, the representations made by Tenby Round Table and everything it has heard during the review hearing. Relevant documents are contained within the agenda pack. For the record, the Sub-Committee has concluded that the application for the review was properly made. The Sub-Committee has made its decision based on the representations it considers relevant to the issues before the Sub-Committee which are whether the licensing objectives of public safety and the prevention of children from harm are being maintained. This Sub-Committee recognises the charitable work undertaken by Tenby Round Table the significant contribution the event makes to the local and visitor economy together with the money raised for local charities. However, the prime focus must be maintaining public safety and the protection of children from harm. The Sub-Committee has concerns that due to the growth and popularity of the event, that it has outgrown its current environment. It should be remembered that the event area and surrounding is a working harbour and that access to the harbour and to the beach must be managed and maintained. This Sub-Committee has considered the representations made by Tenby Round Table for the temporary restriction of the public to the beach during the event and the representations made by PCC officers in response to this. The Sub-Committee noted the need for public access to the beach through the premises licensed area and the safety of those entering and returning from the public beach. Concerns were also raised by the Sub-Committee about should the tide come in whilst the event was on, then it would force attendees on the beach area back into the licensable area with the potential for a crush happening. The Sub-Committee have concerns over the lack of specified numbers permitted to attend the event within the licensable area. There are also concerns about the numbers of people viewing the event from the surrounding streets and a lack of crowd management strategies. There are also concerns how emergency vehicles would gain access if required. The Sub-Committee does not consider that the public safety and the protection of children from harm objectives have been promoted by this licence, therefore the premises licence is revoked. RESOLVED That the premises licence be revoked.
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