Nation.Cymru staff
Labour MP Henry Tufnell has accused the Welsh Government of denying local people a say by calling in the planning application for a controversial military radar project.
Speaking to The Telegraph, the Mid and South Pembrokeshire MP criticised ministers’ intervention over the proposed Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) development at Cawdor Barracks near St Davids.
Mr Tufnell said the move had created uncertainty over a project he argues would bring jobs and investment to the county.
His comments come despite campaigners welcoming the Welsh Government’s decision and calling for scrutiny beyond the local planning process. Nation.Cymru previously reported that the council had received 1,121 objections to the application and one representation in favour.
Mr Tufnell accused Welsh ministers of “taking the decision out of the hands of the local authority” and “denying the local community the right to have their say over whether it would go ahead”.
He told The Telegraph: “It is denying the local knowledge, cultural history and association with defence.
“In Pembrokeshire, defence has always been part of our history and we have always played our part in the national story.
“We have been proud to do that. We had the Cawdor Barracks, we had the Pembroke Dock naval shipyard and the Castlemartin firing range.”
The Welsh Government said: “The power to call in a planning application rests with the Welsh Government and is a matter of planning policy, not defence policy.”
The intervention transfers responsibility for the decision from the council to Welsh ministers, who will receive a report from an independent planning inspector. It does not amount to a refusal of planning permission.
The UK, United States and Australia agreed in 2023 to develop DARC, a network of radar stations intended to track objects in space and help protect satellites.
The Ministry of Defence says the Pembrokeshire installation would work alongside sites in the US and Australia to provide global coverage.
The Telegraph also reported claims from an unnamed Labour source that Plaid Cymru’s opposition was “ideological” and reflected a view of the US as an “enemy”. The source accused Welsh ministers of delaying the application.
Conflicts
Planning Minister Siân Gwenllian called in the application in July, shortly before Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee was due to consider it.
Her letter to the council cited potential conflicts with national policy on landscape, ecology, sustainability and placemaking, alongside the proposal’s national security implications and the substantial public interest it had attracted.
“All these matters lead the Cabinet Minister to conclude the development is of more than local importance and the application should be determined by the Welsh Ministers,” the letter said.
Opponents argue that the proposed 27-dish installation would damage the landscape around the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and contribute to the militarisation of space.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority objected on landscape grounds, with Natural Resources Wales also raising concerns. Almost 20,000 people had signed a petition against the scheme when the call-in was announced in July.
PARC Against DARC welcomed the intervention, saying the project’s implications went beyond those of a conventional local planning application.
Its spokesperson said: “Its national and international scope and implications means it raises issues that go well beyond the local planning process, demanding consideration at Welsh Government level.”
Mr Tufnell’s Telegraph comments follow a public dispute with the campaign over his support for the scheme.
In an Instagram video reported by Nation.Cymru earlier this week, he challenged campaign material linking him to Donald Trump, pointing out that the agreement had been reached during Joe Biden’s presidency. He also argued that the project would help counter threats from Russia and China.
Campaigners have called on Mr Tufnell to meet them and local residents to discuss their concerns, and dispute his claims about the employment benefits.
100 jobs
The Telegraph reported that the redevelopment would keep Cawdor Barracks open beyond its planned closure in 2028 and was expected to create 100 jobs. PARC argues that the replacement of existing military activity must also be taken into account when assessing the employment impact.
An MoD spokesperson said: “Darc is critical to the UK’s national resilience and security. The MoD’s planning application has been produced in compliance with all applicable UK and devolved legislative requirements.
“We continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to support the planning application process in Wales.”
The post Labour MP criticises Welsh Government for calling in controversial radar plans appeared first on Nation.Cymru.