PEOPLE have been left frustrated after being unable to take part in the council’s online survey regarding its planned schools shake up in the Haverfordwest area.

The consultation was due to end at 5pm on May 5 but a number of people who logged on last week were unable to make their views known.

They were left with the option of printing out hard copies and taking them to County Hall, which some will have been unable to do.

One commentator told the Western Telegraph: “I am trying to make my voice heard in protest against the proposed removal of 6th provision form within schools in mid and North Pembrokeshire.

“However, now on the evening of May 2, even though there are still three days before the consultation finishes on 5th May, attempting to complete the online statutory consultation form on the Pembrokeshire CC website displays the message ‘This survey is now closed’.

“This is not only frustrating, but also completely outrageous. It is undermining the consultation process.”

Pheniah Patterson added: “After attempting today to complete the online consultation form for the above and finding that the site was 'closed'.

"How very disappointing and inefficient of Pembrokeshire County Council to have stated quite clearly that the deadline for returning the consultation document had been extended to 5th May 2015 instead of the 1st May as originally stated only to find that the online submission has already closed!

“By the time we the public can complain about this it will already be the 5th May.”

“With the Bank Holiday this means the only way to now submit the Council questionnaire is to hand them in personally in County Hall, Haverfordwest. This discriminates against those who cannot do this, and means many people who were hoping to submit online questionnaires cannot do so,” added Jane Davies.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “There appears to be some sort of technical error and we will attempt to rectify the problem as soon as possible. I’m certain that if days have been missed, as appears to be the case, we will make them up.”

Cllr Viv Stoddart added: “It's human nature to leave things to the last minute.

“With a long bank holiday weekend, many people would have taken their time to read the consultation document, with the intention to respond online before the Tuesday deadline.

“They will be dumbfounded to discover, as I was, that the computer says 'This survey is closed.'

“Secondary school reorganisation is such an important issue for education throughout the county, that the consultation process must be beyond reproach.”