Proposals for a major mixed-use development in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, have been put forward by Dovey Estates in a bid to revitalise the seaside town's eastern gateway.

At the heart of the scheme is the redevelopment of the Royal Gatehouse Hotel, which was severely damaged by fire last year, as well as adjacent properties including the Royal Playhouse Cinema and the Royal Lion Hotel. Under plans for the project, the exterior of the Royal Lion Hotel will be restored, while new suites and new conference and banqueting facilities will be created. The existing cinema will be replaced by a new facility.

Meanwhile, the Royal Gatehouse Hotel and the adjacent Milford House and Kent House, as well as a former petrol station, are set to be turned into a new residential development incorporating retail outlets. Cardiff-based C2J Architects is behind the designs for the scheme, with a detailed planning application expected to be drawn up in the next few weeks, which will then be submitted to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.

Dovey Estates said that the scheme "will provide an example of seaside architecture being preserved and enhanced. The area has been seen by the planning authorities as one in need of substantial investment". However, the planning application is set to encounter opposition from Tenby Town Council (TTC), which is to recommend that the plans are rejected on the basis that "the scale, bulk and character of the proposed development is out of keeping with neighbouring properties, and would have detrimental impact on the amenity of the area".