Manorbier School “Steamrolling”

Consultation on potential closure of fire-ravaged school to be held.

A public consultation on the potential closure of Pembrokeshire schools, including fire-ravaged Manorbier, is to be launched despite the staunch opposition of the diocese and fears it has been ‘steamrollered’ through.

At the May meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members backed a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which included statutory consultation with the St David’s Diocese on proposals to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School and Cilgerran Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School, establishing the latter as a 3-11 Community 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.

A ‘school from school’ has been set up in Jameston Village Hall.

After the May meeting backing of the early stages of a consultation, a report on the diocese’s response to Manorbier was brought to the July meeting, with a recommendation to undertake general consultation on the two schools.

At the July meeting, a response from the St Davids Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) said: “It is vital that PCC, council members and the public are aware the DBF have always required that the school be reinstated and that this has been put to PCC on a number of occasions, in writing and in meetings.

“From the date of the fire up until May 2025, the DBF has always been led to believe that the school would be reinstated by PCC.”

It stated it was against the proposal to discontinue Manorbier, asking: “Would a consultation on the closure of Manorbier VC School have been proposed had it not been ravaged by fire?”

Speaking at the July meeting, local member Cllr Phil Kidney said the diocese’s response “shows the council in a very bad light, steamrolling the closure no matter what”.

He said it was “evidently clear that the church is not going to let the council walk away from their responsibilities for the school,” adding: “This coming October it will be three years [since the fire] and we’re still nowhere near a resolution. The way the education department have treated this school is absolutely laughable.”

“Of course we should rebuild this school,” adding: “We have an obligation to rebuild this school, it’s time to make the right decisions.”

Cllr Woodham responded, saying a consultation was not a done deal: “We’re not at a situation yet where any decision has been taken; I can’t agree we’re ‘steamrolling’ it through.”

Members were reminded the situation at Manorbier was due in part to a decline in numbers attending the school, Cllr Kidney replying: “Of course numbers haven’t increased, there’s been a threat of closure hanging over this school for three years.”

He added: “Where we are very bitter and disappointed is they have misled us all along this process, we have been promised that school is going to be rebuilt and they rescinded on that; they misled me, the parents, and the children.

“It’s very, very damning the way the council have treated this process; we are of the opinion they never wanted to rebuild this school.”

The recommendations to enter into general public consultations on the two schools were passed by 49 votes to two, with two abstentions.