Manorbier.com
Notes on the Community Council Meeting of 25th June 2002.
Meeting with National Park Employees in regard to Unitary Development Plan. The meeting, which was scheduled to start at 7.30, was abandoned because not enough councillors arrived on time for the meeting to commence. Those who attended were Councillors Eades, Calver and Beynon.
Councillor Beynon then decided that there could be an open discussion but that no minutes would be taken.
Councillors Morgan, Sharland and Meyrick arrived after the open discussion meeting had begun and took part in the discussions.
Many questions were raised in regard to the future of the potential for enlargement of the villages with a total rejection of Pembrokeshire County Council and the Pembrokeshire National Parks proposal that there should be no more development except for social and local housing needs and with serious reservations of the National Parks definitions of what constituted being "local" and "affordability".
It was considered that for the community to survive more building land would have to be allocated in the community for house purchase for both locals and incomers to ensure a vibrant community. The question of control on the value of the land when it changed from agricultural use to development land should be a major consideration with time limits set for developing the land allocated.
Land should be allocated for parking in the community to ensure the survival of businesses and around schools and public buildings for the safety reasons.
Councillor Morgan raised several concerns regarding agricultural planning conditions.
A major area of concern raised was the speed of traffic through Lydstep with Councillor Calver proposing that the National Park should be more forward looking and consider diverting the existing approach road to Lydstep from Manorbier cutting out the bad bends and then with the area between the new road and the existing road being allocated for housing development.
Caution was urged by Mr. Ifor Jones, a National Park representative, for any member of the community council having a pecuniary interest to declare that interest just as County Councillors are now doing. This being a requirement under the statutory Code of Conduct. (See also details from the Pembrokeshire News web site which are reproduced from a link here. )
Mr. Jones recognised that there was a need for the provision of waste recycling facilities but that they would be probably situated outside the National Park area.
The same applied in regard to mineral extraction but when questioned on the possibility of new quarry workings seemed to suggest these would be only for local building stone provision. This he was informed was totally unrealistic in a modern context and would only create a monopoly situation with local quarries and would probably force the price of the material up.
The need for cycle tracks was suggested but he was informed that the County Council seemed to be providing these everywhere, at great expense, but there seamed to be a lack of cyclists. It was also felt that these would detract from the village appearance.
The National Park assertion that the Park had reached its environmental capacity and could no longer sustain further development was totally rejected by the meeting.
The outcome and results of this meeting will be discussed at the next Community Council meeting on Tuesday July 2nd. at 7.45 p.m. and then be forwarded on to the National Park Authority.
Comments Received from Tony Wales.
As a member of the public I was totally dismayed with the apathy shown by community councillors who did not bother to turn up at the very important meeting arranged by themselves for the 25th June 2002 when National Park Officers could be questioned on the proposed JUDP ( Joint Unitary Development Plan ) . Members of the public were not aware that the meeting was being held. This plan is of fundamental importance to Manorbier and the surrounding area as it will have a significant affect on the areas future. The JUDP consultation process presently being carried out by Pembrokeshire County Council and the Pembrokeshire National Park is being rushed through in order to meet the Welsh Assembly deadline. I would suggest that it suits the National Park Authority to adopt the plan without much public participation in order to minimise any opposition to their future policies.