Assurances have been given hat a supermarket will not be allowed to purchase Narberth's current primary school when it becomes vacant in two years time.
Pembrokeshire County Council are considering various options for the future use of the Moorfield Road school, once the town's new primary facility is open, but a foodstore is not on the cards.
Members of the town council recently held a 'most useful' meeting focusing on the local authority's considerations following the school's likely move in 2007.
Ideas include moving other county council facilities based in Narberth (if suitable/viable) into the school, thereby releasing other property presently owned.
"Most likely is the library, possibly IT Learning Pembrokeshire, the day centre currently at Bloomfield, though it is unlikely that movement of the day centre at Sunnybank would be feasible," Mayor, Clr. David Norcross, said in a report he brought before members of the town council on Tuesday night.
Clr. Norcross, who had attended a meeting with Clrs. Eric Feetham and Mrs. Sue Rees, continued: "If the building was declared surplus to county council needs, then it would be sold at market value, currently perhaps £500K to £750K for mixed development. Any sale for development would be on a scheme seeking to improve parking provision. Assurances were given that there is no intention to allow a supermarket to purchase the land.
"If the library and other local authority services should be moved to the school building when vacated and the library building made available for sale, the county council would then be happy to enter into discussion with Narberth Town Council as to its purchase.
"Again, this would have to be sold for market value (currently approximately £100K)."
It was likely that there would be room for a Town Council clerk's office and use of a larger room in the evening for a Town Council chamber within the school building which would be leased at a market rent.
"From the Town Council, we stressed that our concern was for the property to be a facility for the community of Narberth, even if only a one-stop- shop for information/advice on council matters and not just offices for the council's own use," said Clr. Norcross.
Whichever option is chosen for the school building, a major consideration will be to increase the existing car parking without further encroachment onto the village green. A sketch scheme had been drawn showing the possibility of perhaps 150 additional parking spaces.
"The sketch also illustrated a number of lock-up shops and a reduction in the current area covered by the school," said Clr. Norcross. "The scheme envisaged a new one-way system around the car park using the existing entrance to the car park and providing a new exit adjacent to the north of the school onto Moorfield Road."
"We will meet again in May when decisions as to the new school build will be firmly established and a more detailed discussion can take place," added Clr. Norcross.