Community
Plans to redevelop Brawdy for landmark radar initiative a step closer
![](https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1202379420_87de251e2d_c.jpg)
The Ministry of Defence has released a second press release regarding plans to redevelop Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire, Wales, to host a groundbreaking radar initiative.
The reannouncement gives a chance for the new Defence Secretary John Healey to express his support for the project, and also announces two community outreach events designed to allow officials to discuss the proposals with local residents.
Known as the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC), the initiative, which was first announced last year, aims, according to the Government, to secure long-term employment and enhance the protection of essential satellite communication and navigation networks. DARC will establish a network of ground-based radars across Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, enhancing the AUKUS nations’ capacity to detect, track, and identify objects in deep space up to approximately 36,000km from Earth.
This capability will significantly benefit these nations’ land, air, and maritime forces, protect critical infrastructure, and support domestic construction and space industries. DARC will play a crucial role in bolstering AUKUS nations’ ability to ensure safety and security in the Indo-Pacific region and globally.
Defence Secretary John Healey commented: “The proposed redevelopment of Cawdor Barracks secures jobs at home and enhances our defence capabilities for the future. Space plays a crucial role in our daily lives, utilised by everything from our mobile phones to banking services. It also supports UK Defence in conducting vital tasks such as military operations, navigation, and intelligence gathering. This new radar programme will enhance our awareness of deep space and protect our space assets alongside our closest partners.”
The former RAF Brawdy base, currently known as Cawdor Barracks, has a rich history of supporting the UK’s Military, as both a Royal Air Force flying station and a Royal Navy base.
Currently home to the 14 Signal Regiment, the Ministry of Defence announced in 2016 that the barracks would close no earlier than 2028. The site’s redevelopment for DARC would ensure it remains operational, with up to 100 personnel permanently stationed to operate and maintain the radar capability.
Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, added: “The proposed redevelopment of Cawdor Barracks will secure jobs in the area while protecting our national security. This is an important project for Pembrokeshire, and the government is committed to working with the local community to ensure its success.”
![](https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/radar-dish-1024x575.jpeg)
The Ministry of Defence is dedicated to completing all necessary planning and environmental processes to gain consent for the site’s redevelopment and its safe operation. A comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment, including a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, is underway to support a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council. The Council’s approval will be conditional on DARC meeting all required safety standards.
Safety processes will ensure that DARC complies with international environmental and health standards set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the World Health Organisation. This is standard practice for all MOD installations.
Community engagement will be integral to developing proposals for DARC, with two public information events scheduled before the statutory consultation period required by Pembrokeshire County Council. Members of the MOD DARC programme team will attend these events to discuss proposals, answer questions, and gather local community feedback.
Local opposition to the plans
In June, a public meeting at Solva Memorial Hall was ‘packed to the rafters’ last night as hundreds of concerned residents gathered to discuss the dangers posed by the proposed Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) project at Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire. Campaigners are urging local communities to lobby all general election candidates against a project they successfully opposed decades ago.
![](https://pembrokeshire-herald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/no-to-radar.png)
Following the digital launch of the campaign group PARC Against DARC, which aims to halt the UK/US military’s plan to establish a 27-dish high-power radar station, a public meeting in Solva saw a substantial turnout. Organisers reported that the hall was filled with residents ready to challenge the radar initiative.
Speakers at the event reiterated key arguments against DARC, pointing to a similar campaign in the 1990s that forced then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to cancel a related project. The meeting featured a campaign video and presentations that highlighted the community’s readiness to oppose the radar station.
Emma Bowen, general manager of the Retreats Group of local hotels, spoke about the potential negative impact on tourism:
“As an accommodation provider set in the UK’s only coastal national park, we rely on tourists who come to enjoy the coast path, beaches, history, and culture. If you were looking for a holiday location, would you choose somewhere next to 27 enormous radar structures? If DARC goes ahead, it would jeopardise our business, putting 75 jobs at risk and affecting over 40 suppliers and contractors.”
Two short films presented at the meeting, created by leading scientists in non-ionising radiation, outlined severe health risks associated with radar installations. Dr. M. Peleg’s study on Israel’s Iron Dome radar revealed a significant increase in cancer cases among soldiers stationed near the radars. The same type of non-ionising radiation expected from the DARC installation has been linked to haemolymphatic cancers.
One Israeli soldier described the effects: “When you’re near a radar, you literally feel your body boiling from the inside out… like being in a microwave. Israeli soldiers have nicknamed the Iron Dome ‘the toaster’ due to its harmful effects.”
Dylan Lewis-Rowlands, CND Cymru’s secretary, expressed concerns over military escalation: “CND Cymru supports PARC against DARC. We oppose the militarisation of space and Cymru. The DARC initiative is part of the AUKUS alliance’s military ambitions. Our campaign prioritises the needs of Pembrokeshire and Wales over US military interests.”
Michial Davies of the South and West Wales Wildlife Trust discussed the potential harm to Manx Shearwaters and other wildlife: “Lights and Manx shearwaters don’t mix. Brawdy is visible from Skomer, the most important site for these seabirds. DARC will exacerbate the problem, leading to more bird deaths.”
On Thusday (Aug 8) Local campaigner Jim Scott urged attendees to take action: “The MOD acts as if this project will easily pass through local councils, but this is far from a ‘done deal’. We need to ensure our elected County Councillors reject this carcinogenic, military monstrosity. Email the General Election Candidates and make our voices heard.”
Before concluding, attendees replicated an iconic photograph from a previous campaign, holding up NO RADAR placards, symbolising their unified stance against the DARC project.
PARC Against DARC launched a just few weeks ago and already boasts a petition nearing its next target of 15,000 signatures. The public launch meeting was the biggest in Solva’s history.”
With this huge level of public support behind them, campaigners told us; “We are extremely confident that public pressure will put a halt to these ill thought out military proposals.”
Adding: “The MOD’s own scoping report admits that the project would mean 100 heavy lorry trips per day up our coast road and through Newgale itself. That would mean 200 lorry trips per day including the return journey!”
“We know the people of Pembrokeshire wont go along with this, but in any case the road infrastructure simply does not exist for this level of project.”
“As a campaign we have every confidence that this military monstrosity will never see the light of day. We repeat our call for our local MP and MS’s to declare their personal position on this. The issue is likely to be a big vote-loser in the 2026 Senedd elections with some major parties such as Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Greens already having come out staunchly against DARC.
This is no good for Pembrokeshire, this is no good for anywhere. Local Politicians need to get on the right side of this before they are publicly forced to, not afterwards!”
About DARC
Space is crucial for the nation and plays a critical role in our daily lives. Space services, including those delivered by satellites, underpin many aspects of modern life, from enabling navigation, monitoring the climate, forecasting the weather, supporting our emergency services, supporting our Critical National Infrastructure and protecting the public. Understanding what is in space is crucial for the UK’s interests, especially as space becomes more congested with satellites and debris.
The proposed redevelopment of Cawdor Barracks (former RAF Brawdy) for the DARC programme would help to protect our present and future prosperity and national security. By enhancing our awareness and understanding of what is happening in space, we can continue to ensure it remains safe, sustainable and accessible to all.
The MOD announced in 2016 that Cawdor Barracks, home to 14 Signal Regiment (Electronic Warfare), would close and this is currently planned to take place no earlier than 2028. The development of the site for DARC helps keep the site open, with a permanent presence of up to 100 personnel to operate DARC.
The proposals
The MOD says it is committed to undertaking all necessary planning and environmental processes required to gain planning consent for the proposed site and for its safe operation. A comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (including a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment) is underway in support of our planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council and their granting of planning permission is conditional on DARC meeting all the required safety standards.
In particular, the MOD safety processes will ensure that DARC meets international environmental and health standards as set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the World Health Organisation, and this is standard practice for all MOD installations.
Public engagement
There will be two public information events before the statutory consultation period that is required by Pembrokeshire County Council. Members of the DARC programme team will attend these events to discuss the proposals, answer any questions and hear local community views.
Public information events will be hosted over the period 13-14 September 2024:
Friday, 13 September 2024
4pm-7pm
Solva Memorial Hall
39 High St
Solva
Haverfordwest
SA62 6TE
Saturday, 14 September 2024
10am-2pm
St David’s City Hall
High St
St Davids
Haverfordwest
SA62 6SD
Community
Closure of popular Pembroke Dock community hub confirmed
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PEMBROKE Dock’s Anchorage day centre is to close in less than two months, following a decision by senior councillors today, September 9.
The county council is currently changing care provision for older adults and those with learning disabilities, and fears have been raised recently that Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage day care centre is to close.
A series of engagement events have taken place at The Anchorage recently, outlining the reasons and the options in continued service, part of which is much-needed building maintenence costs at the centre, set against a background of increasingly tight budgets, councillors have heard.
The Anchorage Day Care Centre in Pembroke Dock has been a “safe and happy place” for adults with learning difficulties and additional needs for decades.
In more recent years it has expanded to support elderly dementia sufferers.
At the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, members received a petition calling for the council to keep the centre open, with an impassioned plea by Peter Welsh for the centre to remain open, saying of the service users: “They are a family, a happy group of individuals that enjoy being together in safety at their home, the Anchorage.
“They are effectively voiceless, we will be their voice.
“It’s an injustice; inexcusable targeting of the vulnerable. Please don’t use these vulnerable individuals as pawns for a money-saving gain.
“We may lose this battle today, but I hope not; they need your support. Just imagine if it was your son or daughter or grandchild being put through this uncertainty that is affecting their lives; you would feel the same sense of anger as us.”
Despite a plea by local councillors Tony Wilcox and Brian Hall to give the centre a breathing space ahead of a potential move to an as-yet-unbuilt facility in Pembroke, the matter was brought to the September meeting of the council’s Cabinet.
In a report presented at the September 9 Cabinet meeting by Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, it was recommended members “close the Anchorage Day Centre with effect from November 1, 2024,” along with, as part of wider changes in the service, establishing social enterprise models in the Crymych’s Bro Preseli and Narberth’s Lee Davies Centre with effect from April 1, 2025.
The recommendation, one of three presented to Cabinet, said it “will provide a longer time period to establish social enterprise models in two of the three centres, ensuring time for scrutiny from members and further engagement from families and users in the final model,” adding: “The model will further strengthen the links between PCC and the third Sector.
“The Anchorage Day Centre would be closed in [two of the three options], but the timescales set out would provide a transition to a new service before the winter and ensure that service users would not need unplanned placement if the building does require emergency closure.
“Service users at the Anchorage have all received support from senior social workers to review alternative placements and all have chosen options should the decision be made to close the Anchorage. Several additional options to retain services within the Pembroke Dock area have been included mitigating journey time to Haverfordwest.
“Meadow Park [in Haverfordwest] has capacity to support all of the current service users from the Anchorage and has the capacity and skill set to provide a single point of excellence. South Wales Advocacy will be approached once a decision has been made to support service users.
“Whilst Option 2 would not secure all of the budget savings required of adult services in 2024/25 it will ensure full recovery next year and reduce the need to enact any further budget savings which would require loss of staff and additional redundancy costs.”
Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said: “It’s a sensitive issue and one that really – if I was a parent, I would want to protect my young person or adult as much as possible – I guess part of all that is about the peer group or the friendship group that they have; wherever possible we must seek to offer something that preserves that as much as possible and is as close to wherever they live as possible.”
Council leader Cllr Jon Harvey stressed the need to keep the “cohort of Anchorage users together,” later quoting the reasoning behind the choice of options, as outlined in the report to members.
Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Hodgson said: “In Pembrokeshire, we want older people and people with disabilities to have a range of meaningful things to do, in their local communities that provides purpose, connection and where appropriate, progression.
“We have at every step tried to balance the needs of the service users and their families with the requirement for change and we will continue to support all service users as we go through this process.
“We have worked hard to identify alternative and suitable provision for all service users and put the direct bus in place from the Anchorage to Meadow Park after listening to feedback.
“I wish to emphasise that no service users will be left without provision following the decision here today and we will continue to work closely with everyone to ensure a positive outcome for all day opportunities users.”
Community
Blue Lagoon and Traeth Llyfn to temporarily close to protect seals
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National Trust Cymru, in conjunction with Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, has closed the public access route leading to Traeth Llyfn beach sooner than planned due to increased seal and seal pup activity at the beach. The Blue Lagoon is scheduled to close to the public as planned from 21 September 2024 until 2 November 2024.
Mark Underhill, National Trust Cymru’s Countryside Manager for Pembrokeshire said: “We are fortunate to host grey seals year-round here in Pembrokeshire and the breeding season is vital for the ongoing health of these colonies given that it is estimated that around half of the world’s population of grey seals breed on our coastline. The total number of grey seals in West Wales is estimated to be about 5,000, with some 1,400 pups being born each year, making it extremely important that we take care to ensure the safety of these colonies.
“With this in mind, we ask that visitors refrain from accessing Traeth Llyfn from 5 September 2024 and the Blue Lagoon from 21 September, whilst also following guidelines laid out by the Seal Alliance and Pembrokeshire Marine Code when on the rest of the coastal path. It is also imperative that dogs are kept on short leads and away from beaches during seal breeding season at the coast in Pembrokeshire.”
The Blue Lagoon closes to the public each year from late September to November, with recent years seeing increasing numbers of the grey seal population breeding in and around Traeth Llyfn as well, leading to its temporary closure in 2023. The Blue Lagoon’s sheltered location, making it so attractive to seals, combined with high visitor numbers in this area, creates a situation where there is a high potential for disturbance to seals.
The time seals spend resting on land is vital to their health and that of their pups as they digest recent meals, socialise, and feed their young. Visitors will still be able to watch these wild creatures in their habitat from a distance on the Wales Coast Path, but to avoid disturbing seals at this important time of year, National Trust Cymru recommend following the Pembrokeshire Marine Code: stay quiet, keep your distance (at least 50m away from seals), never come between a seal and her pup, or a seal and the sea, and don’t take dogs near a seal breeding area.
They also ask that if a seal is spotted in distress or alone, never approach the pup. Seals are often left alone on the beach and distress can be caused by contact with people. To raise any concerns about seals or seal pups, contact the conservation group Welsh Marine Life Rescue on 01646 692943 or 07970 285086 who will be able to offer you further guidance.
Community
Children go free at Cadw locations across Wales to honour Owain Glyndŵr
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TO commemorate Owain Glyndŵr, the last native Prince of Wales, children will be able to visit all Cadw locations across Wales for free.
On Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th September, families will be able to visit monuments and learn about the history of Wales and its people – including Owain Glyndŵr – who played such a pivotal role in shaping the history of Wales.
Owain Glyndŵr Day is celebrated annually on 16th September and marks the proclamation of the Welsh national hero becoming Prince of Wales in 1400. This date also symbolises the beginning of the ‘Glyndŵr rebellion’ – a 15-year uprising that sought to restore Welsh independence against the English rule of Henry VI. Although ultimately unsuccessful, it reclaimed a sense of identity and sovereignty for the people of Wales.
During his rebellion, Owain Glyndŵr besieged many of Cadw’s famous castles, including Caernarfon, Coety, Dinefwr and Kidwelly.
Across the weekend, a series of events will be held across some other Cadw locations:
- Owain Glyndŵr Day Costumed Tour (Castell Cricieth)
Sunday 15th September, 11am-4pm
Visitors can hear the tale of this most unlikely rebel as they take a tour of one of the castles he attacked and discover why his fame still lingers as a legacy for the modern age.
- Owain Glyndŵr Day (Castell Harlech)
Sunday 15th September, 11am-4pm
Owain Glyndŵr took Castell Harlech in 1404. Join the Ardudwy Knights at this iconic location to celebrate Owain Glyndŵr Day.
- Owain Glyndŵr Day(Castell Rhuddlan)
Sunday 15th September, 11am-4pm
Join Cadw’s fabulous storyteller, as they bring to life the legend of Owain Glyndŵr through story, music and song, with various activities for children to take part in too.
- Beaumaris Castle History Tour(Beaumaris Castle)
Monday 16th September, 11am-4pm
Explore the history of this captivating World Heritage Site and discover how Welsh princes (like Owain Glyndŵr) are intertwined with the story of this castle.
The ‘children go free’ offer also comes as part of Cadw’s 40th anniversary celebrations – a significant milestone as it continues its mission to care for Wales’ historic places, inspiring current and future generations to engage with the nation’s rich history.
Head of Cadw, Gwilym Hughes, said: “The cost of living is still having an impact on families so by offering free access to children across our magnificent monuments, we hope that people will be encouraged to visit Cadw locations and give children a real taste of Wales’ extensive history.
“Each Cadw location has a unique story to tell. Indeed, many of these shaped Owain Glyndŵr’s rebellion and although ultimately unsuccessful, his legacy endures through locations like this as a testament to his determination and patriotism.
“We hope this weekend to commemorate his life and legacy will give an insight into our deep roots as a nation – making our rich heritage accessible to all.”
For more information on events and opening times across the weekend, search https://cadw.gov.wales/.
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