A public consultation on the potential closure of Manorbier Church in Wales VC School, severely damaged in a fire just over three years ago, has now been launched.

The building and its adjoining schoolhouse was severely damaged by a fire on October 11, 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 earlier this year members of Pembrokeshire County Council backed a report of the School Modernisation Working Group which, amongst other recommendations, included a statutory consultation on proposals to discontinue Manorbier School.

The decision attracted strong local opposition, with more than 1,200 people to date signing a petition on the council’s own website calling for the school to be rebuilt.

At the July meeting, St Davids Diocesan Board of Finance (DBF) said it had always required that the school be reinstated and 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?”

Earlier this year councillors heard Manorbier has seen “a 59.8% decline in the school’s pupil population during the period 2015-2025, with no indication that this will be significantly reversed during the next 5-6 years,” a report for members said, adding: “This decline cannot be attributed wholly to the fire which occurred in October 2022, with a 30.7% decline from 2015 to 2022.”

It added: “The school’s capacity is 86 but there has been an increasing level of surplus places at the school, reaching 74.4% in 2025. The school has been in a position of having significant surplus places (>25%) for at least seven years.”

It said that most children living in the Manorbier school catchment attend other schools in the area, in 2024 only 15 children (18.5%) living in the school’s catchment attended Manorbier school.

The capital cost of rebuilding Manorbier VC School, at the time of that meeting, was estimated to be £2.6 million.

At the July meeting, County Councillor for the ward, Cllr Phil Kidney said the diocese’s response “shows the council in a very bad light, steamrolling the closure no matter what”.

In a question submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council ahead of its full council meeting of December 12, local councillor Cllr Phil Kidney asks: “Manorbier School was subject to a serious fire in October 2022, so serious that the school premises has not been used since.
At the July meeting, County Councillor for the ward, Cllr Phil Kidney said the diocese’s response “shows the council in a very bad light, steamrolling the closure no matter what”. (LDR)

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

Cabinet member for education Cllr Guy 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.”

The formal consultation for the discontinuation of Manorbier opened on November 5 and runs until December 19.

The report is available on the council’s website, and hard copies are obtainable on request at: [email protected] or by calling 01437 775164.

At the end of the consultation the feedback will be presented to a future meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council for a final decision.