Manorbier.com
of 2nd August 2007
The Manorbier Community Council meeting of 2nd August discussed among other things:-
MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS BEING DOCTORED
Cllr Neads, the proper officer ( a councillor acting as Clerk to the Council ), seems to include in the official minutes only what he thinks should be included. Both he and Cllr Wales have failed to carry out the instructions of the council to place an advert in the local press to employ a temporary clerk who would have ensured accuracy and unbiased accounts of council meetings. By this action it allows Mr Neads, with the collusion of Cllr Wales, to only include those items which he thinks should be included and also to withhold information from other councillors.
The website has just been informed that the discussion and a resolution that was passed relating to Mrs Pellowe's letter had been completely omitted from minutes of the July council meeting which were on the 2nd August 2007 signed by Cllr Wales as being both a true and accurate record of the meeting. The council and several councillors have many times been accused of being corrupt and one wonders what the cartel operating within the council are keeping from the other councillors and from the council taxpayers. Correspondence has been withheld from councillors or delayed for months and who knows if there are major financial consequences for the council. Cllr Neads obviously is not capable of taking and reporting accurate minutes, unless there is some hidden agenda, as would appear to be obvious by the exclusion of the item in which Mrs Pellowe had threatened to take further action.
Website Comment
The benefit of having a Clerk to the Council include a necessary degree of independence, a person dedicated to recording accurate minutes and having received training on the work, function and legal aspects of a Council. The post of a temporary Clerk to the Council was considered some months after the former Clerk was dismissed. At the time of dismissal no provision to ensure council continuity was addressed and only some 5 months later was a post advert carried in the Tenby Observer. Two people did show interest in the post but none followed things any further - no applications. Many a council meeting had the topic of a Clerk raised by councillors but now more than 13 months after the first advert no repeat advert has been made and no positive steps taken to ensure proper coverage of the Clerks post. So the double act of a Councillor acting as the Clerk continues with all its now manifest problems. Typically now the comments by an ex-councillor legitimately concerned about her reputation and what could be scurrilous allegations made by some other councillors is "conveniently" omitted from the minutes.
It must be hard to participate in meetings and to take and ensure accurate records. Clearly this has not been achieved under the present and totally unsatisfactory arrangements.
PLANNING APPLICATION FOR NEW HOUSING AT SKRINKLE
There was a large crowd in attendance at the council meeting when the application to develop two small plots of land on the estate came before Manorbier Community Council on 2nd August.
Councillor Calver stated that he would not be taking part in the discussions as he had already commented on the decision by Pembrokeshire County Council on offering the land for sale to the Pembrokeshire Housing Association (PHA) for low cost housing provision.
Discussion varied from a fear of loss of the grassed area surrounding a fenced / secure small children's play area to the fear that this would create an estate with social problems. One resident of the estate, Mrs Gourley, was afraid that by taking away the grassed area, she had obviously reared her children on the estate, children would not develop the social skills needed to interact with each other in today's society in general. She failed to address the current crisis we have in the provision of housing both to rent and buy which we as a society find ourselves in today.
One resident accused Pembrokeshire County Council over the fact that they had not consulted him over the proposals to construct the houses currently being built near his property by PHA and now nearing completion.
Many felt this new development would cause over development of the estate site but the main concern was the loss of a grassed area with Cllr Lloyd, an ex police Sergeant, using his extensive knowledge as a policeman stating that "if this small development was allowed to be constructed it would create another problem estate similar to Monkton" an area which as an ex police officer, one could assume, he was not able to control the social problems in his days on patrol"
A Ms Lee Marsdan a neighbour of Cllr Lloyd informed the council that "she had received information that gypsies (her description) had bought the land between the site on which planning is now being sought and Cllr Neads, Lloyd and Booths houses, which they had all objected to, when it came before the council for residential planning application a few months ago. Cllr Lloyd stated that "it was already owned by gypsies" (his description) although it is unknown how "Cllr Lloyd would know who owned the land" and "who he was describing as gypsies" and for what reason unless it was a personal attack on the owners of the land.
The council decided to object to the proposed development with Chairman Wales representing the views of the community council at any meetings.
Website Comment
We have here again gesture politics in action with Cllr Wales and the NIMBY syndrome in action just for votes and nothing else. We have a major problem that is affecting our society and the hope of generations of children to have a decent home to raise their families whether it be in rented or owned property. The housing associations today with large financial contributions from the taxpayer provide a quality home that many could not afford to buy. This can be seen by the development being carried out on the estate today. There are arguments that could be put over type of construction and if we as a nation should be concentrating on a particular method but the houses in general are of a good standard. The problem we face in all areas in Pembrokeshire and Wales in general is the land cost element of house prices. Under instruction from the Welsh Assembly Government the Pembrokeshire County Council have a duty to seek out those areas, suitable for development, and release them to housing associations to build houses. Cllr Wales is a member of the Labour Party and it is their policy to release land for housing so perhaps he would like to comment on his and Welsh Assembly policy on this issue and indicate where houses could be built instead of objecting to every proposal that is put forward on every issue that he thinks will gain him votes.
Pembrokeshire County Council did in fact carry out a survey for the houses being built at present, with six people responding in the following manner. Three agreed with the land being developed but not for family houses or single people, one person made no comment but suggested one house and community space and there were two objections with one saying the estate would be overdeveloped and both said house prices may drop as a result of any development.
Three community councillors (Neads, Lloyd and Booth ) who took part in the debate perhaps should have declared their interest in the development, as their properties are in close proximity to the development. All three councillors had in the past declared their opposition to any new development within their area.
JAMESTON COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION
The vice-chairman of the Jameston Community Association, Mr Beddoes ( an ex MCC councillor), wrote to the council regarding the issue of his plea for a financial contribution towards his main goal in life, the construction of a hall in Jameston. In a previous plea the council had given him a £500 cheque sum to enable clearing of the grassed area around the Jameston Mission Room just before the Jameston Fair in 2006. Cllr Calver had asked at council meetings that the Jameston Association supply a copy of the invoice for the work done which Mr Beddoes would surely be in possession of so as to account for the amount given them by Manorbier Community Council. Mr Beddoes could have easily supplied the invoice from the contractor.
The Jameston Association letter also criticised community councillors for not attending the Association meetings, but this brought a swift response from Cllr Wales and Cllr Hine with Cllr Wales stating "he has always been very supportive of the association and their aims". Association plans include a new £500,000 village hall and other developments in their published Action Plan.
Website Comment
Manorbier has already has two village / community halls and it seems taxpayers' money can be begged for village halls whilst the children and young families of the area are desperate for accommodation. Surely priorities need to be examined.
Manorbier Community Council - A WASTE OF MONEY
Cllr Hine suggested that all the Manorbier Community Council seemed to do was pay legal fees and that most members of the parish think that the Manorbier Community Council is a waste of time as it does nothing of relevance and should be abolished. Cllr Wales took exception to this statement but it has to be remembered that he has been the council chairperson for most of the years of the present councils existence.
On this note it would be interesting to see if Cllr Wales and Neads are holding back anything from councillors on the pending employment tribunal. At the last community council meeting Cllr Wales informed the council his secretive sub committee were waiting advice from One Voice Wales regarding employment tribunal case brought by the former Clerk. This, one has to remember, is the case that the council had spent £2000 on solicitors legal fees and were advised by their solicitors, Lowless and Lowless & Co, to reach a settlement (as they did in the ICT marketing case). Again and not following the given professional advice it was decided to terminate the solicitors working for them and then allow just a councillor to represent the council in contesting this claim.
NIGHT FIRING
The Night Firing topic was also on the agenda and comments made on the published results from the Army which has shown noise levels in excess of the Army's own set limit of 130 dB. Comments on the noise level at the first night firing seemed to have different loudness depending upon the hearers location. After allowing public participation for comments on the event the Chairman, councillor Wales, stated, but without revealing the source of his information, that the military are concerned that the present level of 130 dB is not adequate and they will be seeking to raise this figure.