AFTER an hour of heated debate, a series of motions asking extra funding for the Pater Hall were withdrawn.

Pembroke Dock Town Councillor Phil Gwyther put forward five motions to a special meeting of the council, each covering an aspect of funding or supporting the Pater Hall Community Trust.

In total, Cllr Gwyther asked for £13,000 of extra funding to be released to the trust.

Ultimately four motions were withdrawn and only £4,000 released.

The town council and the trust have been linked since the trust was set up in 2004-05, when the trust gained charitable status, with five members of the town council serving on the Trust.

Hall trustee Cllr Pam George said: “The finances of the trust are just keeping above water.

“Members of the trust are doing all that they can to keep the hall open.

“We do try for grants, we do try for other sources, but it’s hard going at the moment to get that extra help.”

Many councillors expressed frustration at the lack of business and finance plans, which had been asked for in the past.

Pembroke Dock Mayor, Cllr Gordon Goff said: “I don’t understand why, when you have lots of users of the hall - irregular users and permanent users - but there’s still no business plan for it.”

Cllr Gwyther said there had been a business plan in the past, but they have not produced an up to date one.

A previous plan relied on a £7,000 contribution from the council for the use of an office, plus £12,000 per year for a caretaker.

He said: “So of course, when the council moved out of the hall, they immediately scrapped £7,000 financial support for the trust and then slashed the budget for the caretaking money.

“There was a business plan - it was destroyed by this council.”

The Mayor Cllr Gordon Goff took issue, pointing out that it was the hall’s safety officer who said it was inadequate for the council to be in there.

It was suggested that the trust consider reaching out to organisations like PAVs, who could help draw up a business plan before any other motions were considered.

An amendment was put forward by Cllr Josh Beynon which said that business and finance plans be developed before further money is released by the council.

The council agreed the amended motion, releasing £4,000 to ensure that the Pater Hall could continue running until next year.