Local councillors have stated that they are confident that a series of meetings held over the past week will prove to be key in the fight to save Tenby’s Avenue Centre.

Over 100 people attended an open public meeting at Tenby’s De Valence Pavilion last Thursday, to consider how the community should respond to Pembrokeshire County Council’s current consultation on the future of the centre in Greenhill Avenue.

A total of 2,400 people signed a paper petition organised by Mrs. Maureen Crockford opposing the centre’s closure, which was presented to the county council’s chairman Clr. Wynne Evans at the meeting by Tenby Social Activity Centre (SAC) representative Mark Price. A further 1,300 have signed an online petition against the closure of the facility.

A number of centre users and carers joined the public in attending the meeting, along with local county councillors, town councillors, and AMs.

A further meeting on Monday, held in Tenby, saw the local authority’s head of adult care, Jonathan Griffiths, and customer services manager social care and housing Sue Thomson in attendance, along with the council’s cabinet member for adult services, health, well-being and equalities Simon Hancock.

Following those latest discussions, which saw town councillors, Tenby county councillors Mike Evans and Michael Williams, and MP Simon Hart, take part, Clr. Mrs. Caroline Thomas, suggested at Tuesday night’s meeting of the town council, that they write immediately to PCC’s cabinet to abandon it’s consultation scheme for the Avenue Centre and start the process again.

“After listening to the experts, its quite obvious that there is quite a few things wrong with what’s going on,” said Clr. Mrs. Thomas.

“There were clearly no options to choose from in the consultation papers that were sent out, and the questionnaire was so badly written, and clearly written in a way to get the answers that PCC wanted!

“It is apparent that there has been no study given into the closure impact on the other two centres in Pembrokeshire,” she continued.

Clr. Mike Evans agreed and also stated that the original report on the Matrix assessment review of the needs of adult clients and carers carried out by PCC was flawed.

“Nobody is against a review by PCC of any kind of service, but we are vehemently against them carrying it out in isolation,” he said.

“They need to start the consultation period again and look at the broader picture,” added Clr Evans.

Town councillors agreed that a letter should go to PCC’s cabinet, and also Mr. Hancock to scrap the current consultations.

Plaid Cymru Assembly Member Simon Thomas said following Thursday’s meeting: “It was tremendous to see the community of Tenby come together in support of the Avenue Centre.

“The vulnerable people that the Avenue Centre supports, together with their parents, family, carers and the excellent staff there are demonstrably part of the community of Tenby.

“This is why the whole town seems united in opposing this closure. Whilst Pembrokeshire County Council seem to think it is appropriate to treat the clients at the Avenue as a small and isolated group the people of Tenby support them and welcome them as a vital part of our community.

“From the beginning, the country council’s approach to the future of the Avenue has been flawed. There was no meaningful consultation with the users and their families; the cabinet paper that proposed closure was based on flimsy evidence and and the consultation that is currently being held is weak and inadequate in the advocacy it provides to the clients themselves to affect the outcome.

“It is incumbent upon Pembrokeshire county council to produce any viable alternative plan before it would be worthy of any consideration. At present, the county council’s handling of this matter has not met in my view the ambition and requirements of the Social Services and Wellbeing Act Wales and is exposing the most vulnerable people in our community to uncertainty and fear,” he added.

Also speaking at the meeting Welsh Labour Assembly Candidate, Marc Tierney said: “The outcome of this meeting has to be that clients, carers and the principal of supporting the most vulnerable in our society are protected and that Pembrokeshire County Council feels the full force of a united front from the people of Tenby and district to end the uncertainty that is causing so much stress for those involved.

“I’d like to thank the Town Council for arranging this meeting but my greatest thanks must go to those closest to the Avenue Centre for starting their campaign and doing most of the heavy lifting on it, so far,” he added.