Tenby Town Council are to stick with their resolution to turn the bus bay outside the town's Somerfield supermarket into a waiting area even though question marks were raised over the legality of their change of mind.
At their last meeting, council overturned a resolution from their September 4 meeting to fill in the bay in a bid to resolve the continued conflict between buses and cars parking in the bay illegally.
They felt a limited waiting area would benefit deliveries to shops within the supermarket complex.
However, at Wednesday night's meeting the mayor, Clr. Mrs. Christine Brown felt that this may have been done in error as resolutions usually required six months or a notice of motion to be changed.
Clr. Mickey Folland, who originally proposed the change to the resolution, disagreed, pointing out that he had brought new information to the meeting, and the council were entitled to reconsider resolutions in the light of new information.
However, deputy mayor, Clr. Miss Lis James, who proposed that the bay be filled in, felt that the information that Clr. Folland had brought to the previous meeting had been considered when the initial resolution had been passed.
Clr. Folland disagreed, pointing out that the new information had only been pointed out after Pembrokeshire County Council's highways officers had been appraised of the town council's idea.
"This is the danger of resolving, at every meeting rather than making recommendations," he opined.
Clr. Folland noted that the idea to resolve to take a certain course of action at both meetings of the town council, had been suggested by the former clerk to speed up business.
"Prior to this we made recommendations at general purposes committee at the start of the month and then these were ratified at the next meeting, which was full council," Clr. Folland pointed out.
"This gave us time to think as to whether we had made the right decision," he added, noting that the county council had a six week committee cycle which gave members the opportunity to refer recommendations back for reconsideration if necessary.
"I see no harm in reverting back to the old system," he said.
Clr. Andrew Rees pointed out that it was not necessary as the resolution of September 4 had not been confirmed until the next meeting and as such further consideration could be given under matters arising.
"The minutes of the previous meeting had not been confirmed by this council, therefore we were still able to discuss them and make further resolutions or changes to them," he said.
"Resolutions do not become resolutions until we confirm them."
Clr. Miss James commented that, if this was the case, then perhaps it should be made clearer in the local press.
"I have had no end of 'phone calls over our change of mind, particularly from residents in the Somerfield area," she commented.
"People don't attend our meetings, they gain their information from the press and it makes us look right idiots if one week we are reported as making one decision and two weeks later we have completely reversed it. It makes us look bad."
Clr. Folland said that this was more a matter of the interpretation of the reader, pointing out that some considered that town council planning observations reported in the press meant that permission had been granted, where as they were only comments being passed on to the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority.
Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas wondered that, if a resolution was not a resolution until confirmed, it meant that it could be brought up and changed meeting after meeting.
"Only if new information comes to light," said Clr. Mrs. Brown.
"The council may agree to stand by its original resolution after receiving the new information," said Clr. Folland. "It is all down to how you view it. I don't think the council would be seen as stupid, it shows that we are making sure we are doing the job properly."