At a recent meeting of Pennar and Bufferland Community Association, the following matters were discussed:

An item in the previous month's minutes concerning with switching off most of the street lights between midnight and 5.30 am reignited members' strong disapproval of the council's interpretation of the carbon reduction commitment policy. Members reported that many residents with whom they had spoken were concerned that any reduction of street lighting might have the unwanted effect of ruining Pennar's record as being a low crime area.

Pembrokeshire Housing Association acquires the 'North of Imble Lane' site: Clr. Tony Wilcox reported that the PHA had recently purchased the land to the north of Imble Lane that was allocated for future housing development under PCC's Local Development Plan 2011-2021. The proposed density of dwellings on the site has been reduced from 96-plus units to 70-plus units. Imble Lane would be widened to accommodate the increase in traffic.

Local community help group's fundraising for good causes: Mel John announced that Keep It Local, the community help group giving assistance to the families of cancer sufferers in the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area, had embarked on another round of fundraising to keep up the good work. To that end, Mel asked the members to support the group's efforts by buying tickets for their Christmas raffle, and the members responded generously.

Objections to the removal of the Minor Injuries Unit from South Pembrokeshire Hospital: Christine Gwyther reported that the Hywel Dda Local Health Board had decreed that the South Pembrokeshire Hospital was to lose its Minor Injuries Unit, and people living in the Pembroke and Pembroke Dock area would have to travel to Haverfordwest for treatment. The loss of this important medical facility was the cause of much dismay to the residents of Pembroke, Pembroke Dock and the outlying villages where there were very infrequent bus services. The chairman asked the secretary to write a letter to Mr. Chris Martin (chairman of the Local Health Board) setting out the Pennar residents' disquiet about the closure of the South Pembs. MIU.

Welsh Government initiative to target 'clusters' of households suffering great hardship: Christine Gwyther outlined a new initiative to identify pockets or clusters of households that are suffering great hardship in these financially straitened times. The criteria to be used to determine whether a group of households forms such a cluster would be: the number of children qualifying for free school meals; the number of unemployed people of working age; general health needs. Mr. Meyrick Rowlands (headmaster at the Pennar Community School) was willing to work with the P&BCA to determine where such clusters might exist in the Pennar community. Initially, the community associations or other interested parties working in the Llanion (Pembroke Dock) and Monkton (Pembroke) wards would report on any clusters within their area. Then it was hoped to extend the study to include The Green (Pembroke), and the Pembroke Dock wards of Pennar and Bufferland and Central.