Manorbier.com
Community Council Meeting - Tuesday 4th March 2003
Public participation session
The meeting's public participation session scheduled to start at 7.45 p.m. could not be held because there was an insufficient amount of councillors present, although several members of the public were in attendance.
Council Meeting
The council meeting started at 8-00 p.m. with Councillor Calver proposing that those present stand and observe a minute silence for Mr Roy Thomas the Manorbier Castle Gardener and Caretaker, a former Community Councillor who had passed away suddenly the previous week and a sympathy message conveyed to his wife Lynda and to his family.
Order of minutes as recorded
The minutes presented at the start of the meeting were challenged by Councillor Calver as he felt it would be impossible for anyone looking through Community Council records to follow minutes of the 4th February 2003 which had pages numbered higher and lower than the page containing details of the closing of the meeting. Although members of the public attending the meeting clearly understood the point being raised by Councillor Calver, Councillor Morgan stated that he could not see anything wrong with pages being numbered either side of the closing statement and if fact this was how the council had been advised by the auditor to present the information. When the Chairperson Ms Beynon failed to recognise the point being raised by Councillor Calver, who was supported in his view by Councillor Meyrick, that they must be numbered either in ascending or descending order he just gave up in disbelief on the point. He then proposed that the clerk should forward minutes of the meetings to Councillors earlier than three days before the meeting, which was the minimum legal requirement. Councillor Morgan said this is how it had always been done but Councillor Calver said this might be so but it would improve Councillors' checking of the minutes if they received them earlier. He outlined that just because it had always been done this way was not a reason to retain the procedure.
Poor Demolition and Reinstatement of Toilet Block in Village
Pembrokeshire County Council and Pembrokeshire National Park were to be notified that the Community Council was unhappy with the letter of explanation regarding the partial demolition of the toilet block in the village. Councillor Calver pointed out his annoyance that the Pembrokeshire National Park and Pembrokeshire County Council planning officers Mr Griffiths and Mr Howells had been involved in discussions over the demolition to the extent that they had visited the site, had failed firstly to take account of the community council proposal for this area to be turned into a parking area and secondly to agree to leave an eyesore which was already being used as a rubbish dump particularly as it was situated in a conservation area.
Tourism Growth Area Group
A letter was to be sent to Erica Fielding regarding the failure of the Tourism Growth Area group to forward minutes of their meeting to council as they had agreed to do.
Conservation Area Committee
Public meeting over Phase Two of the conservation group to be organised for April.
Reinstatement of Hedgebank. Pembroke Road by Public Services after Road Works
A further letter to be sent to Welsh Water regarding the poor reinstatement of the hedge bank on Pembroke Road, asking for further work to be carried out by them. Councillor Calver had raised this point at previous meetings.
Letter to Owen and Owen
No response had been received from Owen and Owen over the agreement to cut back the growth in the Manorbier Castle grounds to give a view of the sea from the village. This issue is to be followed up
Manorbier Village Bus Shelter
The poor condition of the Pembrokeshire County Council maintained bus shelter in the village was brought up by Councillor Calver as he has yet to see the cleaner who was supposed to visit the village on a weekly basis as stated by Pembrokeshire County Council. County Councillor Griffiths stated she could organise a new bus shelter for the village. When questioned by Councillor Calver that surely she was not proposing that a glass type structure be built in the centre of the village with advertising information on it, she informed the meeting that all she could ask for was a new shelter. Councillor Calver informed her all we needed was the existing shelter properly maintained and decorated which was surely not a lot to ask as Pembrokeshire County Council receives a great deal in rates. Councillor Morgan agreed that we should not have a glass type building like the one opposite Bush Terrace in Jameston. Councillor Calver was concerned that Councillor Morgan was seeing bus shelters that did not exist and asked Mr Wales who was in the public gallery if he had seen a bus shelter there lately. Mr Wales stated that he had not.
Tenders for Erection of Gate supplied by the Jameston Estate Developers Rock Estates
No response had been received in response to the request for the gate, which had been donated by the developers of the Jameston estate for the play area, to be erected. Councillor Calver asked Councillor Griffiths that although she had an interest in the company perhaps as they had supplied the gate they would consider erecting it. He was concerned that the existing gate from Kiln House Lane to the play area did very little to stop dogs entering the play area and hoped that this one would be installed in a manner which proved more effective in stopping dogs entering the park. He also raised the point with Councillor Griffiths, Cabinet Member for Pembrokeshire County Council regarding the issue of the play area and the provision of equipment by a developer of an estate. It was important that now the county council had taken the decision not to pay for the renewal of equipment to play areas, without the subsequent rebate on the rates, it was important developers be asked to contribute.
Community Council Newsletter
As Councillor Davies was not at the meeting no discussion could take place. At the previous meeting Councillor Davies had raised concerns regarding the cost of producing the newsletter that had appeared in the council accounts. Councillor Calver inquired of the clerk if she had brought the invoices and receipts in connection with this issue to the meeting. He had requested her to do so at the previous meeting so that the costs could be considered. She informed him that she had forgotten but would bring them to the next meeting for discussion.
Car Parking Area School.
Councillor Calver raised the point that the minutes were not correct over entrance to the wooded area opposite the school and in fact Councillor Thompson had stated that she was not prepared to sell the area for a school car park.
Council Standing Orders
At the last meeting the council had changed the standing orders to extend the meeting after the meeting had officially finished. Councillor Calver questioned the legality of this with the clerk who informed him she was unsure if this was legal. Although the clerk had the book, Local Council Administration by C. Arnold-Baker, with her the Chairperson Ms Beynon asked the clerk to find out by the next meeting. Councillor Griffiths interrupted to say this was how Pembrokeshire County Council did it to which Councillor Calver replied it must be legally correct if Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet adopt the same procedure.
Planning Application for Hall and Storeroom at Penuel Chapel
A planning application was received regarding a new hall and storeroom in the grounds of Penuel Chapel. Councillor Calver explained the proposal to the council with Councillor Griffiths saying she would not like to see two halls there. Councillor Calver pointed out the council were not being asked if they would like to see two halls there but asked to consider a planning application for an extension of the existing stone building to provide additional extra storage area not a new hall being built. He pointed out that included in the development was off road parking which was surely an asset on this stretch of road. Concerns were raised regarding the amount of village / church hall buildings and their economic survival. The Chairperson Ms Beynon supported the application that there was a need for as many halls as possible and that felt that they would all be fully utilised and thereby economically viable.
Letter of Complaint from County Council Cabinet Member Pembrokeshire County Council Councillor Mrs.Patricia Griffiths
The council had received a letter of complaint from County Council Cabinet member Mrs Griffiths to what she regarded to be wild statements by Mr T Wales. (SEE LETTER HERE) Councillor Griffiths asked Mr Wales to withdraw his unpleasant and inaccurate statement made at the last meeting when he implied that the Pembrokeshire County Council officer Mr Gobbi had insinuated that there would be nothing done until there was a death. Councillor Calver who attended the site meeting said that he could not remember exactly what the officer had said but was adamant that the Mr Gobbi the road safety officer had intimated that if the road had a poor safety record it would raise the project in order of priority and therefore surely a bad safety record would or could include fatalities. Councillor Morgan suggested that Mr Wales was now withdrawing his remark to which Mr Wales was adamant that he would not make a withdrawal until he received a copy of the letter from the clerk as he was at a disadvantage, as he had not had an opportunity to fully consider the contents of the letter from Councillor Griffiths and that he would reply in full to the next council meeting.
Letter from Mr Gerson Davies. Director of Education. Pembrokeshire County Council
See Letter
Mr Gerson Davies, Pembrokeshire County Council Director of Education, had taken it upon himself after being approached by the governing body of Manorbier Primary School whose Chairperson is Councillor Griffiths, to write with suggestions for a reply to Mr Wales' letter to the council over the failure of the school governors to attend a site meeting held regarding his proposal for a footpath from Jameston to the primary school. Mr Gerson Davies was concerned that Mr Wales had not appraised himself fully of the facts in relation to the actions of the school governing body and was most concerned regarding what he thought were Mr Wales' personal attacks and insinuations about individual governors including chairman Councillor Patricia Griffiths. He felt Mr Wales should appraise himself fully of the respective responsibilities of the Community Council and County Council. After the letter from the Director of Education was read out the Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet member for Learning for Life, Mrs Griffiths made a sarcastic remark regarding the grammar utilised therein. Councillor Calver could not accurately remember what the letter stated to which Councillor Griffiths then retorted that you (Councillor Calver) should remember the contents of the letter as you have put it upon the www.manorbier.com website. Councillor Calver was concerned that Councillor Griffiths was placing too much emphasis on the grammar of the letter when she should be more concerned about its content. He also stated that he was not responsible for the writing of the letter
Letter from Mr Wales over Councillor Griffith's non-attendance at road safety meeting.
A letter was received from Mr Wales ( SEE LETTER HERE ) regarding Councillor Griffiths' protestations regarding her failure to notify anyone of her non-attendance at the footpath to school site meeting.
Councillor Morgan said he seemed to remember that she had given her apologies. Councillor Calver pointed out that he must have had a memory lapse, as he could not remember him saying so at the last council meeting.
Jameston Community Association
Mr Peter Cooper Chairman of the Jameston Community Association who attended the start of the meeting but left at approx. 9.00 p.m. informed the community council by letter that Councillor Thompson had been co-opted on to the association as the Community Council representative. She had been asked to attend the last two meetings because Councillor Sharland had not been coming to the meetings but had now left the association by mutual consent. Both Councillors Morgan and Griffiths were annoyed that the Jameston Community Association had taken it upon themselves to appoint Councillor Thompson as the Community Council representative to their association committee. Both Councillors were of the opinion that a letter should be forwarded to the association informing them that it was the Community Council's responsibility to nominate a replacement for Councillor Sharland, not the association. In the second part of his letter Mr Cooper informed the council that Councillor Sharland was back on the association and when Councillor Calver asked why she had not attended their meetings Councillor Ms Beyon informed him she had been unwell. As she had now made a complete recovery he inquired as to her non-attendance in order to produce a report, as he was concerned that Mr Beddoes at one meeting had felt that the Community Council did not inform the Jameston association of what was going on. Perhaps this was the reason. Mr Cooper felt that his association should be in harmony with the council especially as both Councillor Thompson and Griffiths had proposed that if the Community Council were approached in writing it would supply council taxpayers money to fund the total cost of the appraisal not just the VAT element. Councillor Grifiths denied that both herself and Councillor Thompson had made such an offer to the Jameston Community Association but Councillor Calver stated this was how he had interpreted the statement from the two councillors and surely before we continue funding appraisals the fact should be considered that the village appraisal just funded the salaries of Pembrokeshire County Council employees. If a project as the result of an appraisal were found to be viable surely it would be better to give an initial grant to assist the project during its early stages.