THE FINAL decision to close fire-ravaged Manorbier school has been given the go-ahead, despite a heartfelt last-minute plea by local councillor Phil Kidney to keep it open.

Back in March, Pembrokeshire County Council members backed a recommendation that the Director of Education at Pembrokeshire County Council be authorised to publish a statutory notice to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales voluntary controlled school.

Manorbier Church in Wales VC School and its adjoining schoolhouse was severely damaged by a fire in October 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 last year councillors 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.

The formal consultation for the discontinuation of Manorbier closed last December.

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

At a special extraordinary council meeting held on June 15, members were asked to consider a report on a summary of 62 objections received in respect of the proposal to discontinue Manorbier VC school, which included options to end that discontinuation or to launch a fresh consultation.

However, it was recommended, in a report present by deputy leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now also has responsibility for education, for the discontinuation be proceeded with.

At the meeting, local councillor Phil Kidney, who has been a staunch supporter of the keeping the school open, thanked the campaigners who fought for it and the dedication of the staff, including headteacher Sharon Davies.

Cllr Kidney said: “The way this authority has treated her and the staff is quite frankly amazing; we have all let these good people down.

“We’ve all let these people down, the way this council has handled this situation is appalling; from day one not one of the executives came up to see these children, no-one came out; if that was Haverfordwest or Tenby they’d be all over the place.”

He said the wording of the consultation had seen more mentions of St Florence [ the alternative school for pupils in the event of a discontinuation] than Manorbier, describing it as “like a brochure for St Florence”.

He also warned the Diocese of St Davids, which had always pressed for the school to be rebuilt, would not allow the council to “walk away from our liabilities lightly”.

“We’ve been promised by two leaders and the chief executive: ‘Don’t worry we’ll rebuild,’ sometimes you’ve got to be big enough an honour your promises; do the right thing today, vote for Manorbier and keep it open.”

Members later heard the diocese had, in a letter received by councillors, made “damning accusations the council is being biased against voluntary controlled schools,” with Cllr Jamie Adams saying the council administration should be “ashamed of this debacle”.

Cllr Miller said his only consideration was “the future welfare of the children,” adding: “I do not think 20 children educated in a welfare centre in Jameston is the best for them.”

He said that no pupils would have to travel more than 2.1 miles for their education as a result of a closure, Cllr Kidney disputing that figure more like 3.5 miles.

Cllr Miller said the wording in from the letter from the diocese “which had a dog in the fight” was a one-sided legal argument, adding the council had actually opened VC schools.

Cllr Aled Thomas, chair of the working group which had presented the proposals in the first place, said: “The whole thing is an omnishambles, a total mess of how it’s been handled, but we are where we are.

“The important thing to remember is the future for these children, there will be kids in that school that have never been taught in a classroom setting. Tough decisions are never going to be easy; not a single one of us got elected wanting to be in this position.

“I’m no friend of the administration but we need to look at it holistically.”

Members, by 30 votes to 23, with four abstentions, supported the final steps to close the school.

Posting after the decision, the Friends of Manorbier School said: “Today is a difficult day, as the final decision to close Manorbier Primary School has now been made.

“There were some heartfelt comments and statements during the council meeting. The children, staff, parents and wider community have been waiting far too long for a decision. While this outcome was not unexpected, it is still hard to hear those final words spoken aloud.”

It added: “There are still questions that need to be asked, but the fight to keep the school open has come to an end. Our focus must now be on supporting the children and their families as they prepare for the transition ahead. The staff, too, finally have an answer.”

Council says poor and inaccessible housing can contribute to ill health and pressure on local services

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL has admitted there is not enough suitable accessible housing in the county to meet demand, with more than 400 people currently waiting for accessible social housing.

The council confirmed that 403 people are on the Pembrokeshire Accessible Housing Register, which forms part of the Choice Homes @ Pembrokeshire housing register.

Of those waiting, 81% are in the gold band, while 62% require one-bedroom accessible accommodation.

A further 111 cases are currently awaiting occupational therapy assessment through to approval of assessed works for disabled facilities or discretionary disabled assistance grants.

The figures were released following questions from The Pembrokeshire Herald after a report by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists warned that poor and unsuitable housing is damaging people’s health and placing avoidable pressure on health and social care services.

Pembrokeshire County Council said it recognised that unsuitable housing was a local challenge, often linked to ageing housing stock across all types of accommodation.

A spokesperson said: “Within Pembrokeshire, we recognise that there are challenges around unsuitable housing, often linked with an ageing housing stock across all tenures of accommodation.

“We recognise that poor and inaccessible housing can be a contributing factor to ill health and increased demand on housing, health and social care services.

“As a council where a need is identified, we work across service areas to ensure that people are able to live safely and independently within appropriate accommodation.”

Hospital discharge delays

The council also confirmed that housing-related issues can affect hospital discharge planning locally.

It said there had been an increase in housing-related delays in recent years, caused by a range of factors, including the need for suitable accommodation after changes in a person’s health or ability to function.

This can lead to a need for home adaptations or alternative accessible accommodation.

However, the authority said housing-related factors generally represented a relatively small proportion of overall discharge delays in the area.

The council said: “There are concerns related to housing-related delays which impact hospital discharge planning locally.

“There has been an increase in housing related delays due to a range of factors, including the need for suitable accommodation following changes in an individual’s health or functioning.

“This may be for any tenure of accommodation, which subsequently can lead to a need for home adaptations, or alternative accessible accommodation sourced.

“Despite this upward trend in recent years, housing-related factors generally represent a relatively small proportion of overall discharge delays in the area.”

Insufficient suitable homes

Asked whether enough suitable housing exists locally for older residents and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, the council accepted there was a shortfall.

The spokesperson said: “Given the numbers we have on our Accessible Housing Register as well as the ageing population in the county, we acknowledge that there is insufficient suitable accessible housing to currently meet demand.

“This is recognised in the Local Housing Market Assessment 2023 and Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2024-2027.”

The council said its Occupational Therapy Service works closely with housing providers across Pembrokeshire to assess needs and support appropriate housing solutions.

This includes adaptations to existing properties and the development of adapted homes.

The council said its Housing Service was also working closely with Adult Social Care and health partners to address the challenges.

Adapting homes

For social housing tenants who need adaptations, the council said needs are assessed through the Occupational Therapy Service.

Depending on the outcome of that assessment and the extent of the works required, adaptations are either carried out by the social landlord or, in some circumstances, alternative more suitable accommodation is sought.

For new social housing, the council said Lifetime Homes standards form part of the Welsh Government’s Housing Quality Standards for new build properties.

Housing and social care services also work together to inform the type and design of properties being developed, with the aim of ensuring the needs of people with disabilities and long-term health conditions are considered.

The council said this work is targeted according to the needs identified from the Accessible Housing Register.

It added that the approach focuses on early identification, regular discussion and joint problem-solving to help support timely and appropriate hospital discharges, as well as planning for current and future need through new build and acquisition programmes.

Wider Welsh concern

The council’s comments come after the Royal College of Occupational Therapists published its Building Health into Homes report, which argues that unsuitable housing is worsening physical and mental health, increasing hospital readmissions and adding pressure to health and social care services.

The report says there is little point discharging people from hospital if they are returning to homes that fail to meet their needs or worsen their condition.

In response to the report, the Welsh Government told The Herald: “Poor or unsuitable housing directly impacts people’s health and places additional pressure on NHS services.

“Delayed discharges linked to unsuitable housing are a serious concern and we are taking steps to improve patient flow and reduce delays, strengthening joint working between health, social care and housing services so people can leave hospital safely.

“This Welsh Government has been clear that housing is a public health issue, which is why we are aligning action across government, including through dedicated ministerial oversight, to create a healthier population.

“We are also strengthening adaptation services to support independent living and prevent avoidable admissions and are establishing a new national development body to speed up delivery of accessible social homes.”

Hywel Dda University Health Board also said health was shaped by wider living conditions beyond the NHS.

James Severs, Executive Director of Allied Health Professions and Health Science at Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Most of what determines our health and well-being sits beyond the NHS. While healthcare is vital, it is the conditions in which people live, learn, work and age that have the greatest impact on health outcomes.

“As a Health Board, we recognise that the NHS contributes only a proportion of overall population health, with wider factors such as housing, education, employment and the environment playing a much larger role.

“This is why our strategy for ‘A Healthier Mid and West Wales’ is focused on moving beyond an illness-centred model of care to one that prioritises prevention, early intervention and support in communities.

“We are committed to working in partnership with local authorities, the third sector and our communities to address these wider determinants of health, reduce inequalities and enable people to live healthier lives, well lived.”

COUNCILLORS WARNED RURAL COMMUNITIES WILL REMEMBER DECISION

PEMBROKESHIRE councillors have voted to close Ysgol Clydau following an emotional debate over the future of rural education and Welsh-language provision in the county.

The recommendation was carried by 32 votes to 21, with one abstention.

The decision followed strong appeals from several councillors, who warned that closing the school would damage village life, weaken rural communities and risk pushing some families towards home schooling.

Cllr Iwan Ward, the local member, opened the debate by urging councillors to reject the proposal.

He questioned whether the views of local people had genuinely been listened to during the consultation process.

“If the overwhelming concerns of local people have not been listened to, then what was the point of it?” he said.

“This was not a box-ticking exercise. It was a chance to listen.”

Cllr Ward said the people of Clydau had spoken “passionately and clearly” about the importance of the school.

“The school is not just a building,” he said. “It is the heart of the community, where families come together and where the Welsh language is passed on to future generations.”

He warned that closure would affect the viability of young families living in the area and said alternatives, including federation and other collaborative arrangements, had not been properly explored.

“As councillors, we have a responsibility not just to look at budgets, but at the people behind them,” he said.

Cllr Ward added that “local democracy does not end when this meeting closes,” warning that people would remember “who stood up for their communities and who chose to protect the heart of rural Pembrokeshire.”

He said the decision would affect communities “long after we have ended our terms, long after we leave this chamber.”

“Today, we have the opportunity to send a message that rural communities matter, Welsh education matters, and local people matter,” he said.

Rural schools ‘lost forever’

Cllr Anji Tinley also spoke against the recommendation, claiming there had been a wider policy of “starving” rural schools in order to support larger ones.

She warned that once rural schools closed, they were “lost forever”.

Cllr Tinley said she had “never known any other school” bring forward so many options publicly in an attempt to avoid closure.

She told councillors: “When are we going to wake up and listen?”

She said the issue was not simply about pupil numbers or finance.

“Children are more than a spreadsheet number on a desktop,” she said.

Her comments were met with applause from the public gallery.

Welsh language concerns

Cllr Huw Murphy, speaking in Welsh, reminded councillors that he had already made his position clear during a previous council meeting.

“Back in March, I said I would not support closing a school where the Welsh language is strong,” he said.

Referring to the upcoming National Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire, Cllr Murphy added: “The National Eisteddfod is being held here soon, and I cannot support closing a school that can be seen from the Maes.”

He argued that pupil numbers alone should not determine whether a school remained open.

“Numbers are not the only reason for closing a school,” he said. “If that were true, we could close many schools.”

Cllr Murphy also rejected cost as a justification, saying it was inevitable that providing education in rural communities would cost more than in urban areas.

He pointed to Welsh Government ambitions to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, questioning whether any future administration would abandon that aim.

In an emotional intervention, he referenced the Manic Street Preachers song If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next.

“If we close this school, more will follow,” he warned.

‘Duty beyond politics’

Speaking in favour of closure, Cllr John Davies said the issue was not confined to Pembrokeshire, pointing to councils across Wales also considering school closures.

He said Conwy, Gwynedd, Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion were all facing similar pressures.

“Forget the parties in administration,” he said. “We have a duty beyond politics to all children in the county.”

Cllr Davies said there were around 2,000 fewer children in Pembrokeshire than a decade ago, and described the proposed closure of Ysgol Clydau as “extremely sad”.

He said the school itself had been created by combining two other schools, and recalled that when an extension was built there were 71 pupils on roll.

Cllr Davies said the decline reflected wider changes in rural life, including depopulation and changes in farming, with fewer but larger farms.

He added that the council had also closed schools in towns, and said members had a responsibility to all children in Pembrokeshire.

Recalling his own experience, he said he had been a pupil at Eglwyswrw when it closed in 1972, moving from a school of around 30 pupils to one with about 90.

He described that experience as positive and said this was what the council would seek to offer affected pupils.

Cllr Davies said only 14 pupils came from the school’s catchment area, adding that some parents had already “voted with their feet”.

“It is not councils that close schools,” he said. “It is parents who vote with their feet. There is some truth in that saying.”

He concluded by saying that, after 27 years on the council, he would “sadly” vote for closure because he did not believe the school was sustainable in the 21st century.

‘Soul of a community’

Cllr Phil Kidney said he could not support the recommendation, warning that some children would struggle if moved into larger schools.

He asked: “Are we setting these kids up to fail? Are we forcing parents down the home-schooling route?”

Cllr Kidney said he would be voting against the proposal.

Referring to a previous school closure in Penally, he said the local vicar had told him that when the school shut, children stopped playing in the village.

“It rips the soul out of a community,” he said.

Cllr Bethan Price praised the school’s social media campaign and said it had helped highlight the strength of local feeling.

She told the meeting: “We need to keep the Welsh language going.”

Cllr Price said she was there to support both the school and the Welsh language.

Her comments were also met with applause from the public gallery.

Support for closure

Cllr Paul Miller spoke in favour of the closure proposal, saying alternative Welsh-language provision remained available to families in the area.

He told members: “Alternative Welsh language provision is available.”

Cllr Miller added that he believed closure was in the best long-term interests of children living within the catchment area.

“I believe that closing the school is in the best long-term interests of pupils in that catchment,” he said.

Home schooling warning

Cllr Ward later responded by saying travel times were not the only issue, warning that many parents were now considering home schooling.

He said he had spoken to parents and believed as many as 50% of children could be home schooled if the closure went ahead.

Cllr Ward said: “I am not a fan of home schooling. It is not right. They need a school background and they need to be in school with other children.”

He warned the closure would have far-reaching consequences beyond the school itself.

“This will be devastating for Pembrokeshire and our local communities,” he said.

Several councillors warned the decision would be remembered by rural communities and could have political consequences at future elections.

Despite the objections, councillors voted 32 in favour of the recommendation, 21 against, with one abstention.

The recommendation was therefore carried.

Reaction

Following the decision of Pembrokeshire County Council to close Ysgol Clydau, Bethan Williams on behalf of Cymdeithas yr Iaith said: “One of the councillors said that closing rural schools is a symptom of the wider problem of depopulation. It is true that the decline in pupil numbers is a symptom, and one that is common to several counties, but rather than addressing the wider problem, the council decided to close the school today.

“Similarly, maintaining and developing rural schools is not the only solution to this, but it is a fundamental part of the solution. There are plans to build more affordable housing in the village of Tegryn, but what is the point of those houses without schools for children?

“There is an opportunity for the new government to give new hope to our Welsh-speaking rural communities, and we will be pressing them to make use of that opportunity.”