Authority denies cancelling event as organisers await licensing decision

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has insisted that it wants the Tenby Summer Spectacular to go ahead, after organisers announced the cancellation of this summer’s events amid a row over harbour access and crowd control.

Tenby Round Table said earlier this week that the popular charity events, scheduled for Sunday, August 16 and Sunday, August 30, had been cancelled “until further notice” because organisers did not believe they had the clear powers needed to safely manage pedestrian access at Tenby Harbour.

The events are among Tenby’s best-known summer attractions, drawing thousands of residents and visitors to the harbour for entertainment, food, drink and fireworks, while raising money for local good causes.

But the council has now said it has not asked for the events to be cancelled and that the matter remains part of the normal licensing process.

Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller said: “Pembrokeshire County Council supports the Spectacular as we have for nearly 15 years. The Council has not requested or given direction that the event should be cancelled.

“The Spectacular is a much-loved event with significant number of attendees. As a result, we have an important duty to make sure the event can take place safely to address the concerns formally raised by the Responsible Authorities under the Licensing Act, which include the blue light services.

“Tenby Harbour is a working harbour and a key community asset – and just as every year this event needs to be licensed, and the organisers need to provide important information on how they plan to safely manage the event.”

Cllr Miller said the council wanted the event to proceed, but had to be satisfied that suitable safety arrangements were in place.

He added: “As a council, we very much want this event to go ahead but we have to make sure the event is safe for the public, with the right safety measures in place.

“Once the organisers provide the required information, the Licensing Sub-Committee, currently scheduled for July, will consider the event application, in exactly the same way they consider the large number of other events which occur across Pembrokeshire each year.”

Local county councillor Sam Skyrme-Blackhall also said she wanted to see the Spectacular continue.

She said: “I want to see the Spectaculars go ahead. It is important for locals and visitors alike to celebrate Tenby, have fun and raise money for worthy causes.

“I am really encouraged from meetings that I have had with senior officers that everyone is ready to do all that they can to enable these events to go ahead.”

The dispute now appears to centre on whether organisers can provide the information required by licensing officers and responsible authorities before the application is considered next month.

Tenby Round Table has previously said the issue relates to the safe management of large crowds around the harbour, including control of pedestrian access.

The council says those concerns must be addressed through the licensing process, while stressing that no instruction has been given to cancel the events.

The future of this year’s Spectaculars now appears to depend on whether an agreed safety plan can be produced before the July hearing.

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has accepted an insurance settlement which leaves it with just £63,777.07 after the catastrophic fire which destroyed Manorbier School.

The figure, confirmed in a director’s decision notice dated Tuesday (Jun 23), is likely to appal parents, taxpayers and campaigners who have fought to save the village school.

The council accepted the insurer’s full and final settlement offer of £263,777.07.

But after a £200,000 excess was deducted, the net payment to the authority was only £63,777.07.

The fire broke out on October 10, 2022, during roofing works at the school. The council’s own document states that the blaze followed the use of flame torches and caused extensive damage to the original school building and adjoining schoolhouse, destroying the pitched roof structures.

Nearly four years later, the school has been discontinued, the building has not been rebuilt, and the insurance payout left to the council is less than the price of many family homes in Pembrokeshire.

The revelation raises devastating questions about how a public building used by young children could be left so exposed.

It also raises wider concerns about whether other schools and council-owned public buildings in Pembrokeshire are properly insured against catastrophic loss.

Council leader calls for review

Council leader Cllr Tessa Hodgson has now written to Dr Norma Barry, chair of the Governance and Audit Committee, formally requesting a wider review of the authority’s insurance arrangements.

In her letter, Cllr Hodgson said it was “difficult to explain and to understand” how there could be such a wide gap between the value of the damage to the asset and the value of the settlement figure.

She asked the committee to undertake a “formal, thorough and more general review” to provide assurance that insurance arrangements across the authority are “fit for purpose and robust”.

That request will now place the council’s insurance policies, risk management and decision-making under intense scrutiny.

Church dispute

The issue is made even more explosive by the fact that Manorbier School is a Church in Wales voluntary controlled school.

The Church has previously made clear that it expects the building to be reinstated, and solicitors acting for the Diocese have already accused the council of using the school closure process to avoid responsibility for rebuilding the fire-damaged premises.

The Diocese has demanded full structural reinstatement and has warned that legal action, including judicial review, could follow.

If the Church continues to insist that the school must be returned to its pre-fire condition, the council could yet face a much larger bill than the £63,777.07 it will receive from the insurer.

Contractor questions

There are also unanswered questions about the roofing contractor working at the site when the fire broke out.

The council document states that the fire occurred during roofing works following the use of flame torches.

Former Schools Overview and Scrutiny Committee chair Cllr Huw Murphy has questioned where the contractor’s public liability insurance was, and why the consequences of the fire appear to have fallen back on the council.

He said there were “serious concerns” over the lack of insurance cover in place for such a catastrophic incident.

Cllr Murphy said the fire not only rendered the school unusable, but also destroyed an attached schoolhouse, leaving a tenant requiring rehousing by the local authority.

He said: “If there was a template on how not to deal with a catastrophic incident then Pembrokeshire wrote it for Manorbier.”

Wider public concern

The Manorbier case now raises a stark question for every parent in Pembrokeshire: if another school suffered a major fire tomorrow, would the council be able to rebuild it?

A large insurance excess may not be unusual for a local authority, but residents will want to know whether the council had the right cover, the right reserves, and the right legal protections in place.

Had Manorbier School been rebuilt, Pembrokeshire would at least have retained a valuable public asset capable of serving future generations.

Instead, the community has lost its school, the building remains unrestored, and the council is left with a net insurance payment of just £63,777.07.

The Herald has asked Pembrokeshire County Council whether all school buildings are insured for full reinstatement value, what excesses apply, whether any claim has been pursued against the contractor or its insurers, and what legal advice has been received in relation to the Church in Wales’ position.

UPDATE 24.06.2026:

Pembrokeshire County Council has confirmed that the Governance and Audit Committee review will examine whether the authority’s insurance arrangements are “robust, fit for purpose and provide value for money”.

The council said the review follows the acceptance of the Manorbier School insurance settlement and will assess whether current insurance arrangements ensure public assets are “appropriately valued, insured, and restored in the event of loss or damage”.

Council leader Cllr Tessa Hodgson said: “We have a duty to ensure that all public assets are properly protected and insured. This review will provide assurance to residents and stakeholders that our insurance arrangements are effective and that public money is being safeguarded.”

The statement does not address why the Manorbier settlement left the authority with a net payment of just £63,777.07 after a £200,000 excess, nor whether the council is pursuing any claim against the contractor or its insurers.

THE ARMED FORCES flag is flying proudly at County Hall this week ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 27.

Leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, Cllr Tessa Hodgson, and the Council’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Simon Hancock were among those who marked the flag raising on Monday morning (June 22).

Also present were the Chairman of Council, Cllr Delme Harries, the Chief Executive, Will Bramble and the Regional Armed Forces Covenant Liaison Officer, Hayley Edwards.

Cllr Hancock said: “It is always a very proud moment to see the Armed Forces Flag flying over County Hall.

“Armed Forces Day is a chance to show our deep appreciation for the men and women who serve, as well as the families and communities who support them.

“Our county has a rich history of connection with the Armed Forces, and we are proud to uphold and strengthen that bond.

“As a Council we are committed to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community in Pembrokeshire receive the recognition and support they truly deserve and we are proud to be a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award holder.”