Former town hall and market to become spa hotel and restaurant

Bruce Sinclair, local democracy reporter

An application to change a former town hall, market, and a former department store into a spa hotel, restaurant and café/bar has been submitted to national park planners.

Wil Crockford of Bassett Crockford Holdings Ltd is seeking permission from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for a change of use for the former TP Hughes/ M&Co store, and a part change of use of the market hall and former town hall to a spa hotel, restaurant and cafe/bar, with associated extensions and alterations at High Street/Upper Frog Street Tenby.

The proposed development includes the first floor of the old town hall, to provide additional space for the hotel spa, and portion of the ground floor of the market hall.

Support

A supporting statement from agent Gerald Blain Associates Ltd says: “The proposed development comprises of three buildings, two buildings which sit either side of St Nicholas’s Lane with retail frontages on both Upper Frog Street and High Street (former retail store), and the market hall/town hall.

“The buildings either side of St Nicholas’s Lane are linked via a first-floor bridge which stretches over the lane below. Viewed from Upper Frog Street the property has two entrances either side of St Nicholas’s Lane, the left-hand building (part 1) stretches between high street and upper frog street, the right-hand building (part 2) only has a frontage on upper frog street. Part 1 of the building comprises of three storeys and a basement, part 2 comprises of two storeys only. The market hall/town hall adjoins part 1 and comprises of two storeys, the ground floor is predominantly occupied by the market hall and the first floor occupied by the former town hall and storage rooms for the market.”

The former retail store was occupied by the well-known TP Hughes department store from 1902 to 2017, the TP Hughes name still visible in a mosaic step on Upper Frog Street and a stained glass window on the bridge.

It is sited within the Grade-I-listed medieval defensive town walls of Tenby, a designated scheduled ancient monument and was more recently occupied by clothing retailer M&Co before its closure was announced in 2023.

Owners

The market and old town hall are owned by Pembrokeshire County Council and the applicant is in the process of negotiating a long-term lease for the first floor and small portion of the market hall, the statement says.

It adds: “The proposed scheme would remodel the interior of the former retail store to create a 20-bedroom hotel, café/ bar and restaurant. The internal remodelling would include the repositioning of the staircases, lifts and partitions.

“The first floor of the market hall would be remodelled to create the spa and gym areas for the hotel. An extension to the first floor of the town hall would be erected over the market hall below to provide further room for the spa.”

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