A TOWN councillor has accused fellow members of letting the community down following a vote on the future of the former Park Street Infant School site.

Campaigner and mother, Marion Pearse, was appalled when she was unable to comment on Abergavenny Town Council's decision to recommend approval for the conversion of the building to residential and development of the existing play yard and car park.

At the town council meeting she wanted to raise her objections to the decision made at the planning committee on August 12, while she was away on holiday.

Speaking at the meeting she said, "When I came back I found out that council had met and recommended approval. I am going to make some objections to this as there was some information to persuade councillors that the building was secure and that a lot of money was spent on it." At the meeting, town clerk Peter John said there were few members at the planning meeting that night and, unless there was new evidence, it would be difficult to change the decision.

Councillor James George said, "If we do it now it is going to encourage it to happen to every application." Following a discussion members voted not to discuss it.

After the meeting Marion Pearse contacted The Chronicle and said the members who voted "just gave the opportunity for a community centre away without challenging it."

She said, "I was on holiday but the item wasn't on the agenda - it was handed out last minute. The council needs to wake up and get savvy, this is an opportunity that will never be afforded again. There is not a place in Abergavenny that suites a purpose like that building can.

"There's money coming from the Welsh Assembly Government for an asset transfer to the community. The town council did not make a stand for the community. They are letting the community down."

Ms Pearse is spokesperson for the group which has been battling to keep the former school site in the community for local groups to use.

She said, "No one mentioned the town campaign for this to be a social centre. I find it absolutely appalling that they just approved it. This is a whole town issue but the town was not represented at that meeting.

"There are people who are prepared to stand up for the town, that's why I got on to the town council. What they approved that night was an incomplete application - there was no bat, owl or access survey - and they should have discarded it. It was not discussed and in essence the people of Grofield had no-one there to represent them - that's how Monmouthshire County Council do things. The naive town councillors say 'yes, we have to this' and before we know it, it's been approved."

She also criticised the ruling of not allowing ward councillor Douglas Edwards to comment, because of his role of county councillor.

"The campaign to convert the building into a social enterprise / community centre, has already received £2,000 from the Town Council and is now looking for £700 more in funding so they can out in a planning application of its own.

"The town council has given funding to this scheme and them did not support its own policies. We have raised £15,000 and we are still trying to get the message out there. There is still people who don't know about it and the councillors need to support it.

"This is not about one street or ward it is going to put social well-being back into Abergavenny. The community never gets a look-in. I am sure that there is no underhand actions but someone is going to ask, 'why did they do it?'"

Town clerk Peter Johns told The Chronicle, "The town council has a planning meeting twice monthly at which we deal with any applications received so we can return comments within the three weeks that are allowed.

On that basis we consider applications before us, members don't see them in detail before they come into the meeting. All they have is the name or a description.

"In the meeting there is only an outline application, if this goes forward there will be a detailed application given. That's the time when they are worked out in detail.

"Those members present considered the application on its merit. They are aware that there is a group that would like to see it used as a community facility but no planning has been put forward for the community facility.

"It's a great shame that Councillor Pearse was not able to be there because she was on holiday.

"I absolutely sympathise that she could not be there but even if she had, some problems could not have been dealt with anyway. She may or may not have changed minds.

"There are a lot of hurdles with this development, as any other, I think there will be quite a few individual objections."