Tenby street pedlar numbers 'spiralling out of control'

Business owners in a seaside town are lobbying for the removal of temporary street traders, claiming numbers are now "spiralling out of control".

They say many in Tenby are not following Covid-19 regulations and are an eyesore.

Pembrokeshire council said there has been little public response to a consultation asking if a change in the law is needed.

The traders themselves insist they are operating within the law.

They point out anyone in the UK can be a pedlar - a salesperson who travels by foot, selling goods from place to place.

The street traders have been a familiar sight in Tenby during summer months for years - hair braiders and tattooists setting up their stalls within the historic town walls.

But some local people are not happy and say they should be banned.

"Low quality tat" is offered by the pedlars, in councillor Michael Williams's opinion

Tenby North county councillor Michael Williams said there needed to be a concerted effort to tackle the problem of unauthorised street trading.

"They just don't reflect a very good image of the town - you've got some quality businesses here now," he said.

"You've got listed buildings all around here and then in the middle what I consider to be rather low quality, quite frankly, tat..

"I'd like to see them banned - I don't think they sit comfortably in this area, they detract from an attractive conservation area."

Many business owners in Tenby all said they wanted these traders removed, claiming they were an eyesore, they were not all following current Covid regulations and the situation created an unfair playing field because the traders do not pay rates.

One business owner, who in common with others asked to remain anonymous, said: "In previous years, this has been a problem, and numbers of these pedlars are spiralling out of control.

"But this year in particular, during a global pandemic, it's become more of a health and safety issue.

"Many of these street traders aren't following the rules - in terms of sanitising or wearing masks.

"We've had to invest in new procedures in our businesses, so it doesn't seem right or fair that these people can carry on with no measures in place.

"They're also an eyesore - the stalls are tacky at a time when we've put a huge amount of effort into making Tenby a beautiful town which people want to visit."

Kristina Pavlovicova is a street tattooist in Tenby

But the traders insist they have every right to be here and are operating within the law.

Kristyna Pavlovicova is working on a street tattoo stall. She says they are offering a popular service and are following current health and safety regulations.

She told BBC Wales: "We don't force anyone to get a tattoo - we're not ruining the economy because we're living here for two months - we shop, we eat here.

"Anyone can be a pedlar in the UK - people think we're stealing jobs but that's not true.

"If it was illegal, we wouldn't do it but we're allowed to do it. We sanitise our hands before and after every customer and we use masks and shields or glasses, so we're doing everything we can to be safe."

Tourists on the street in Tenby had few complaints, saying they did not consider the stalls to be an eyesore and that their presence would not put them off coming to Tenby.

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Current street trader legislation does not cover these activities because they are offering services rather than goods, meaning a new byelaw would be needed to end this type of trade.

Pembrokeshire County Council said it had explored the possibility of introducing such a byelaw, but that there was little public response to a consultation asking if such a change in the law was needed.

"We're continuing to monitor the situation," the council said in a statement.

"Those who carry out the activities are deemed service providers and therefore not covered under our current powers."

It added: "Our public protection team is visiting the providers regularly to ensure compliance with Covid-19 regulations".