CAMPAIGN group ‘PARC Against DARC’ – launched in 2024 in opposition to the proposed US military radar installation at Brawdy – is calling for a county wide response to the official consultation on DARC Radar. 

As part of statutory public engagement obligations, London Based PR corporation Cascade Communications announced the opening of the public consultation on February 22, which will close four weeks later on March 22. They say the MOD will then submit an official planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council after which the local authority is expected to run its own public engagement and consultation process with agencies, stakeholders and the general public.

As a result, PARC Against DARC has launched what they describe as ‘a massive community led response of opposition’ which offers several ways of actively opposing the plans.  They are urging people to visit the consultation page on their website www.parcagainstdarc.com and take part in the consultation response via what they describe as ‘an accessible action-tools with simple one-click’ options to email the consultation and register opposition to the Radar plans. Emails can also be sent to Cascade Communications at: [email protected] directly.

The campaign group has already made significant inroads to stalling the plans in its first two years, with Plaid Cymru and the Green Party firmly supporting the campaign at national Party levels. Thirty eight elected politicians have also supported motions in both the Senedd and Westminster opposing the plans, with many pledging to escalate opposition through parliamentary procedures in both Cardiff and Westminster.

A spokesperson said: “There is already a massive momentum of opposition to this dangerous radar which if ever built would unquestionably be the most powerful, most high-radiation installation ever imposed on British soil. With residents a stone’s throw away from the edge of the base, the MOD’s absolute stone-cold refusal to publish any data for public scrutiny is disgusting, and we deserve better from our government, and the Labour Party. 

“When questioned about this and thousands of studies showing health risks, all the MOD does is trot out one widely-criticised research group that ignores the modern research body on radiation and is under intensive military lobbying influence, and expects residents here to shut up.”

PARC Against DARC claims their petition has been signed by over 18,000 people,while local politicians have pledged to fight the proposals in the High court.

“This is set to be a serious ‘vote killer’ in the upcoming Senedd elections this May,” said the spokesperson.

Party hopeful cites national security report on ecosystem collapse and food supply threats

A GREEN PARTY candidate standing in the upcoming Senedd elections has warned that biodiversity loss and environmental decline could pose serious risks to food supplies and national security.

Amy Nicholass, the Green Party’s Ceredigion Penfro lead candidate for the May election, has highlighted the findings of a report titled Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security, which examines how environmental breakdown could affect the stability of societies.

Nicholass, who holds a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, said the report shows the need for communities to become more resilient in the face of environmental shocks.

“We need to create resilient communities,” she said. “Such communities are being formed all over the UK at the moment.”

The report outlines how biodiversity decline and ecosystem damage could disrupt food production and increase pressures on national infrastructure.

Environmental campaigners have also launched a new initiative called SAFER – Strategic Adaptation for Emergency Resilience – which aims to help communities prepare for major shocks linked to climate change and ecological decline.

The campaign has been promoted by former Green MP Dr Caroline Lucas and environmental thinker Dr Rupert Read.

Nicholass said the involvement of national security experts highlights the seriousness of the issue.

“There are still people, and political leaders who deny that climate change is real,” she said. “Now is the time to come together to acknowledge the truth and find solutions that are good for nature and good for people, and which do not leave poorer members of our society behind.”

The report also highlights the challenges already facing farmers, with changing weather patterns and biodiversity loss affecting crop production.

Nicholass said farmers are on the front line of the crisis but must also be supported as part of the solution.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Nature underpins our security, prosperity and resilience.”

Nicholass added that communities had shown during the Covid pandemic that rapid change is possible when people understand the scale of a challenge.

“In the Green Party we always look for hope,” she said. “The pandemic showed that people and communities can be resilient and rethink priorities in times of crisis.”

CANDIDATE CRITICISES DARC PROPOSAL

THE GREEN PARTY has voiced strong opposition to plans for a major US military radar installation on Pembrokeshire’s St Davids Peninsula, warning the development risks escalating global tensions and damaging the area’s environment and tourism industry.

The proposed project, known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), would involve the construction of 27 large radar dishes designed to track objects in space. The system would form part of a US-led network intended to monitor satellites and other activity in orbit.

Amy Nicholass, the Green Party’s number one candidate for the Ceredigion Penfro constituency in the upcoming Senedd elections, said the proposals represented a return to Cold War-style thinking.

She said: “The DARC proposals are a disgrace. They benefit no one except the US government. When the US tells Westminster to jump, the Westminster government simply asks how high.

“We should be putting all our efforts into creating lasting peace, not allowing anyone to recreate Cold War tactics where none of us feel safe. Peace is at the heart of Welsh culture.”

Campaigners have also raised concerns about the wider implications of militarising space. The radar system would be used to monitor satellites and other objects in orbit, including those belonging to potential adversaries.

Critics argue that the destruction of satellites could create large amounts of debris in space, which could threaten other satellites used for weather forecasting, telecommunications and navigation.

Local residents have also expressed concern about the potential impact on the landscape and tourism industry.

A community group known as PARC Against DARC has been campaigning against the proposals, warning the development could harm the reputation of the St Davids Peninsula, an area widely regarded as one of Wales’ most important natural and tourism assets.

The campaign group describes the peninsula as a “jewel-in-the-crown natural wonder” and a key attraction for visitors to Pembrokeshire.

Nicholass said developments of this scale must involve local communities in the decision-making process.

“It is vitally important that local people have a say on developments like this,” she said. “We need more local power when it comes to large planning decisions that could fundamentally change our landscape.”

She added that the current international climate made diplomacy more important than ever.

“We understand how precarious the world can feel for many people,” she said. “We are fortunate to live in a peaceful part of the world, but proposals like this risk bringing global conflict closer to home.

“We all share this one planet and need to be part of the conversation about how to stand up for each other in peaceful ways.”