A plea for councillors to not act as “judge, jury and executioner” when the potential closure of fire-ravaged Manorbier is decided upon, has been heard at full council - with county councillor for the ward Phil Kidney telling the meeting that the community has been ‘lied to’.
At the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition opposing the potential closure of Manorbier School.
Manorbier Church in Wales VC School and its adjoining schoolhouse was severely damaged by a fire on October 11, 2022, which broke out in the school roof space.
After that, a ‘school from school’ was set up in Jameston Village Hall.
It had been hoped the school would be rebuilt, but earlier this year members of Pembrokeshire County Council backed a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which, amongst other recommendations, included a statutory consultation on proposals to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School.
The decision attracted strong local opposition, with more than 1,500 people signing a petition on the council’s own website calling for the school to be rebuilt, meaning it passed the threshold for a formal hearing by members of the council.
The formal consultation for the discontinuation of Manorbier closes in just a few days on December 19.
