Sir, I refer to the article about Manorbier, provided by the Pembrokeshire National Park Authority, under the heading 'Preserving Manorbier's special character' in your 'paper dated September 3. We have over the last few years seen a marked deterioration in the upkeep of the basic structure of the village and surrounding area, for example in its boundary walls, hedges and paths. This is due to lack of attention by both Pembrokeshire County Council and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. The toilet block in the village was only partly demolished by Pembrokeshire County Council, with the remaining structure left as an eyesore in the centre of the village. Neither Pembrokeshire County Council nor the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park were prepared to provide funds to remove the structure completely and reinstate the land and stone walls to the original condition of the area. Following my visit to the newly refurbished offices in Pembroke Dock, it is time for Pembrokeshire Coast National Park to spend taxpayers money on projects to look after the villages in the National Park and less on spacious and luxurious offices and vehicles. As the only elected member of the community on the committee, which has been very poorly attended, I feel I must register my total opposition to the insistence of the National Park employees that to maintain the character of the village we have to use "appropriate building materials" on all dwellings in the village. While accepting that the character of certain buildings in the village such as the church, castle, village hall and some of the old houses should be maintained using similar materials, we have to move forward and cannot live totally in the past. Suggestions have been put forward by some on the committee, to include the whole of the village in the conservation area, so I would urge all villagers to attend the meeting to view the proposals document. This meeting is to be held on September 28 in the Village Hall, between 10 am and 7 pm. It is essential for concerned residents to attend to put forward their views regarding the use of modern day materials on their own homes.
Malcolm Calver, County councillor for Manorbier and St Florence Ward,
Gleann-na-Coille, Pembroke Road, Manorbier.