A review into the contentious closure of Manorbier School is to be conducted following the backing of senior councillors.

Back in June, the final decision to close fire-ravaged Manorbier school was given the go-ahead, despite a heartfelt last-minute plea by County Councillor for the ward, Cllr Phil Kidney to keep it open.

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 statutory consultation on proposals to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School.

Reasons given by PCC’s Director of Education, included - declining pupil numbers; and the cost of rebuilding.

Following the June closure, in a notice of motion before the September meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s Cabinet, Cllr Kidney proposed: “That council considers a full impartial investigation into the process of closing Manorbier school, specifically the time it has taken, broken promises, inadequate insurance, and the involvement of HR department.”

A supporting statement for his motion said: “The review should be carried out by someone not employed by the authority, with powers to recommend disciplinary action if they deem necessary.

“A full impartial review should hopefully stop another school being treated so appallingly.”

Members were recommended to support the notice of motion – but not the call for an external investigation – by commencing two independent audits through the internal audit team of the council.

A report for members said: “The terms of reference set up by the Governance and Audit Committee will review the circumstances in full and provide recommendations and conclusions that would lead to improved processes if anything like this were to happen again.”

The outcomes will be reported back to a future Cabinet meeting, the report and recommendation said.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Kidney said: “The only way to get to the answers is through someone from outside the authority; we would expect any enquiry to be highly critical of people at the top, the chief executive, the director of education, and two previous leaders; if someone from within the authority is to chair this investigation, they are in a compromising position.

“What’s gone on is not good enough, we’ve let so many people down, we are continuing to let them down.

“One of the most frustrating parts is we don’t learn from one ‘cock-up’ to the next,” added Cllr Kidney.

Calling for “an impartial review,” he said if an internal enquiry concluded there was “nothing to learn” from the outcome, the people of Manorbier would “be screaming cover-up”.

Chief Executive Will Bramble took umbrage at Cllr Kidney’s remarks about officers, and Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller, who now has Cabinet responsibility for education, said he “genuinely believed” the former Council leaders acted in good faith.

Members backed the recommendations and “that the independent and impartial assurance role of those bodies be noted”.