03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

THE decision on whether to allow a lorry park in Pembroke Dock was deferred again – this time until a response is received from Natural Resources Wales.

Members of Pembrokeshire County Council’s committee unanimously backed deferring Certas Energy UK Limited’s application for parking for 17 HGV tankers, eight cars and a welfare facility on Criterion Way until a report on ecological matters was received from NRW.

Cllr Tony Wilcox said the delay in a response from NRW was “disgusting” – with the request for a response made in April – adding that he found the whole proposal “abhorrent.”

“Anyone who thinks putting a smelly, potentially dangerous, lorry park there will be of any benefit to Pembroke Dock is living in cloud cuckoo land,” he said.

Fellow Pembroke Dock councillors Brian Hall and Paul Dowson also may strong objections to the application, with Cllr Dowson highlight the amount of wildlife in the area, including protected species, and alleged there had been a “deliberate attempt been made to conceal that.”

He added that the application showed a “lack of respect for the town, its heritage and its people.”

Cllr Wilcox also argued there would be no economic benefit to the town while others highlighted safety concerns regarding the empty tankers and the nearby Asda petrol station’s underground storage.

Cllr Mark Carter said that to refuse the application would result in the “public purse” being hit with an appeal likely to succeed, adding “I would like to trust that Ceras would do this absolutely properly and take every consideration into play.”

The application was recommended for delegated approval by the chief planning officer following the resolution of ecological matters but Cllr John Cole proposed that the ecological reports and the application be brought back to committee for decision.

This was agreed with discussions to be hard about extending the time period for determination with the applicant to avoid a non-decision appeal which could see the application taken out of the council’s hands, the committee heard.

 

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