A PLEA for councillors to not act as “judge, jury and executioner” when the potential closure of fire-ravaged Manorbier is decided upon next year was heard at full council.

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.

Manorbier community councillor Richard Hughes

However, many of the council’s figures, especially on the level of surplus places at the school, have been strongly disputed.

Speaking at the December meeting, Richard Hughes, of Manorbier Community Council, said the council consultation was “deeply flawed and unlawful,” the quoted capacity figures after the fire damaged the original building “null and void,” with a true surplus of some 21 per cent.

“The school is clearly thriving under less-than-ideal conditions, your report claims 59 per cent [surplus], it’s misleading and artificial.”

He said the council was acting as “judge, jury and executioner” in its “deeply flawed” consultation.

Cllr Phil Kidney

Local member Cllr Phil Kidney said the staff, parents and pupils had been “living this process for three years,” adding: “At worst light we were misled for three years, living under this shadow, it’s not fair.

“We’ve been promised all along ‘we will rebuild this school; no matter what we do we will have to spend on this school, we have to hand it back in [a useable] condition.

“How members of staff have worked under these conditions for three years is amazing, the service they are providing in that school is fantastic.”

He criticised the consultation wording, feeling it painted Manorbier in an unfair light, saying it was stacked heavily in favour of St Florence school in a submitted question heard later at the meeting.

“We do feel there’s a hidden agenda, nothing more than a boost for St Florence school; we were led to believe was all about the positives and the negatives for the school; we have lost the trust in the director of education, we still feel we’re not been listened to.”

He said it was important councillors, when a final vote on Manorbier’s future, expected in March, keep an open mind “not just going along with the narrative: ‘We can’t afford it, and the figures are going down’.”

He went on to say: “We want to get the right vote, the moral vote, and get the school rebuilt.”

Cllr Guy Woodham

Cabinet member for education Cllr Guy Woodham praised the work at the school following the fire, saying he intended to “set the facts out” when it came to a final decision.

Leader of the independent group Cllr Huw Murphy said: “It just doesn’t sit right with me to close a school that has burned to the ground. Yes, we will respect the decision in March, however we haven’t handled the decision well. We need to do what’s right, and we haven’t done what’s right for Manorbier.”

Members agreed to note receipt of the petition prior to the final report before council in 2026.

Later in the meeting, Cllr Woodham disputed Cllr Kidney’s submitted question claim, Cllr Kidney telling Cllr Woodham: “We’ve put a lot of trust and faith in you on this consultation to make sure it’s fair and transparent. St Florence was referenced more times than our school, for a consultation I think it’s misleading.”

Cllr Woodham responded: “I will do my utmost to give a balanced report when I bring it back to full council.”

A NEW report commissioned by UNISON Cymru has warned that years of austerity and ongoing funding pressures have had a damaging impact on local government services across Wales.

The report, titled The Future of Local Government Services in Wales, examines the pressures facing councils and frontline staff working in areas including social care, housing, leisure services and youth provision. It was produced by the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) and published on Wednesday (Dec 17).

According to the report, repeated reductions in funding and short-term financial settlements have made it increasingly difficult for councils to plan ahead, retain experienced staff and maintain service standards. It argues that cuts to preventative and early-intervention services can lead to higher costs in the longer term as problems escalate.

UNISON Cymru says councils are struggling to meet rising demand for services while managing tight budgets and workforce pressures. The union is calling for a shift to multi-year funding settlements to give local authorities greater financial stability and allow them to rebuild services.

Gwawr Eilian, UNISON’s Gwynedd branch secretary, said councils had been “stretched to the limit” after years of funding constraints.

“Councils have been starved of funding for years and suffered from multiple rounds of job cuts,” she said. “We’re stretched to the limit just trying to cope with the increased demand for our services.”

Darron Dupre, UNISON Cymru’s head of local government, said sustained investment in council services was essential to community wellbeing.

“As this report shows, failing to fund local government just stores up problems down the line,” he said. “It will now take proper funding and long-term planning to fix the problems of austerity and rebuild public services. There are no short cuts or easy answers.”

Local government funding has been a long-running issue in Wales, with councils warning in recent years of growing pressures linked to rising social care costs, inflation, pay awards and increased demand for services. Welsh councils receive most of their funding through a combination of Welsh Government grants and council tax.

The Welsh Government has previously said it is operating within tight budgets set by the UK Government and has pointed to real-terms pressures across public services. Ministers have also highlighted that councils in Wales have been protected from some of the deepest cuts seen elsewhere in the UK since austerity measures were introduced after 2010.

The report will be formally launched at an event at the Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay on Wednesday afternoon. Copies of the full report and a summary guide are available in both English and Welsh.

UNISON is the UK’s largest trade union, representing more than 1.3 million members working across public services, including local government, education, the NHS and emergency services.

In Pembrokeshire, the financial picture has been more mixed. Pembrokeshire County Council has reported a budget surplus in recent financial years, driven by a combination of higher-than-expected council tax income, strong performance from some services, reserves carried forward from previous years, and short-term factors such as unspent allocations and delayed capital projects.

Council leaders have previously stressed that a surplus does not mean services are fully funded in the long term, warning that rising costs in social care, education and pay awards continue to place pressure on future budgets. The authority has also said that reserves are often held to manage risk and cannot be relied upon to fund ongoing services indefinitely.

Pembrokeshire County Council has argued that while careful financial management has helped it remain more stable than some authorities, it still faces significant challenges ahead as inflation, demand-led services and uncertainty over future Welsh Government settlements continue to affect local government finances.

Whistle-blower raised safety and funding questions as council insists no formal offer was made

SWANSEA COUNCIL l has denied claims that it turned down a £50m investment proposal for Swansea Airport, insisting it has not been formally approached by anyone other than the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance (SASA) with a detailed offer.

The clarification comes after concerns were raised with the Herald by a whistleblower, who alleged biased treatment in favour of SASA, questioned operational standards at the airport, and suggested taxpayers may be indirectly funding its operation.

In a statement, a Swansea Council spokesperson said Cabinet had agreed to grant a long-term lease to SASA following a report outlining options for the site after a period of interim arrangements.

The spokesperson said the decision built on progress made since July last year, when SASA took temporary control of the airport after the previous operator surrendered its lease, allowing the site to remain open.

Council outlines reasons for lease decision

According to the council, since taking over, SASA has reinstated the airport’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) aerodrome licence following a successful audit, improved operational standards and compliance, introduced new amenities including a café, and attracted interest from businesses looking to relocate to the site.

SASA will be offered a lease on commercial terms, subject to independent valuation, with the council stating this will ensure best consideration as landlord.

“The airport had faced an uncertain future before we began working with SASA to put in place a management plan,” the spokesperson said.

Cabinet was told that pursuing alternative options would have required taking the site to market and reapplying for a CAA licence, which could have led to disruption and uncertainty.

Investment and taxpayer funding claims denied

Addressing claims that a £50m investment offer had been ignored, the council said: “We’ve not been formally approached by anyone other than SASA with any detailed offers for the operation of the airport.”

The spokesperson added that the council operates an “open door policy” and any interested party can request a meeting to discuss investment opportunities at any time.

The council also rejected suggestions that taxpayers are subsidising the airport, stating: “We plan to offer no financial support as part of any future agreement. The lease will be on commercial terms; all occupational costs will be an obligation of SASA.”

Safety and environmental concerns

The whistleblower also raised concerns about fire cover, staffing, and an alleged environmental incident involving firefighting foam entering drains.

In response, the council said the airport is a licensed facility and operational matters fall under the responsibility of the licensee and the CAA as the regulatory body. Officers had sight of the recent “positive CAA audit” which led to the reinstatement of the licence.

The council added that its officers had not been asked to investigate any recent environmental incidents.

Background to lease decision

The council’s decision follows a turbulent period for Swansea Airport after the previous operator surrendered its lease in 2024, placing the site’s future and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence at risk.

In July last year, the Swansea Airport Stakeholders Alliance (SASA) stepped in on an interim basis to keep the airport open, with the CAA licence later reinstated following a successful audit.

Since then, the council says SASA has introduced a café, tightened operational standards, rebuilt confidence within the flying community and attracted interest from businesses looking to relocate to the site.

Cabinet approved the move to grant a long-term lease earlier this month, with council leader Rob Stewart previously saying that taking the airport back to market would have required a fresh CAA licence application, potentially leading to disruption and uncertainty.

Under the proposal, SASA will be offered a lease on commercial terms, subject to independent valuation, allowing it to invest in infrastructure while the council retains its role as landlord.

Ongoing scrutiny

The council said it remains committed to supporting aviation in Swansea while ensuring compliance with statutory requirements and best value principles.

The Herald understands that concerns continue to be raised by some within the local aviation community, and the situation will be kept under review.