Last Night's Community Council Meeting

Some doubt is emerging about Clr Calver's declaration of interest in the Night Firing debate. It is alleged on Manorbier the Truth Blog that perhaps the National Park planners didn't actually ask for Clr Calver's comments on the planning application. I understand, from my sources, that at last night's meeting of the Community Council, Clr Calver wasn't 100% certain that he had been asked to comment. Come on Clr Calver, either you were asked or you were not! So produce the alleged letter from PCNPA and settle the argument. Even if you were asked to comment, you were not forced to do so. You could have declined on the grounds that it would stop you taking part in Community Council debates. This would have been the more community minded course of action. But Clr Calver has his own agenda and prefers to hide behind a procedural smokescreen rather that come out and say he is in favour of the MOD's application. At least his side-kick, Clr Davis, has had the backbone to openly support the application. But alas Clr Davies doesn't seem able to support the majority view of the Community Council. At their meeting on 10th January the Council voted to ask the National Park to defer a decision on the MOD application and asked for a site visit. The following is the text of a letter that Clr Davies wrote to the National Park seeking to undermine the decision of the Council.

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16th January 2006

Ms C Milner
Planning Officer
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park
Llanion Park
Pembroke Dock
SA72 6DY

Re: Manorbier Community Council - Firing During The Hours Of Darkness.

Dear Ms Milner

At the Manorbier Community Council meeting held on Tuesday 10th January, it was resolved by the Council to write to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and ask that you defer your decision and arrange a site meeting, prior to the Council making representation to you in respect of the Planning Application from the MoD for Firing During The Hours Of Darkness.

At this meeting, the Chairman, Cllr Wales, asked all the Councillors, in turn, for their opinions and comments on this Planning Application. Each Councillor explained their position and declared if they were for or against the application. Of the ten Councillors, eight Councillors were against, one for and one who declared an interest.

The Councillors have in effect made their decisions and have stated their views of this application both to the Council and to members of the public who attended the meeting.

Based on the above information, I am of the opinion that a site meeting would therefore be of no constructive use. Surely the whole point of asking for a site meeting, is to gain further understanding to enable Councillors to make an informed decision. Each and every Councillor has already reached that decision. Whether the Community Council has passed this information to you, is a different matter.

The Council have further asked for more monitoring. Again, taking into account the fact that detailed monitoring has already taken place, I do not think it justified to further expend public funds, to essentially duplicate what has already been done.

I do not feel that protracting this issue is beneficial to any party and organising a site meeting and further noise monitoring for Councillors who have already made their decision, is a pointless exercise.

Please consider these views at your earliest opportunity.

Kind regards.

Cllr Martin Davies
Manorbier Community Council.

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The original of the letter is held in the National Park planning file which is open to public view.

This is yet another example of the devious and obstructionist tactics used by Davies and Calver to frustrate the majority of reasonable Councillors.

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