Council urged to pause project amid environmental and financial concerns

OPPOSITION is mounting against Pembrokeshire County Council’s plans for a new inland road at Newgale, as local campaigners accuse the authority and its consultants of using “shock tactics” and outdated data to justify the controversial scheme.

The £60 million Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project (NCAP) is currently in the statutory consultation phase, with the public invited to submit comments before the deadline of May 11.

The scheme, designed in partnership with Canadian engineering firm AtkinsRéalis, proposes diverting the A487 inland through the Brandy Brook valley. The council says the route is necessary to future-proof a flood-prone stretch of the existing coastal road, which was severely affected during storms in 2014.

Campaign group STUN raises alarm

But campaigners from Stand Up for Newgale (STUN) claim the 2014 storm—often cited in council communications—was an isolated incident and should not be used as the sole justification for such a major project.

“Using dramatic images of one rare event to promote this scheme is misleading,” said a STUN spokesperson. “The 2014 overtopping cost the council just £13,000. That is a world away from the £60 million now being proposed. Even if storms like that happened every year, it would take thousands of years to justify this level of spending.”

STUN’s alternative proposal involves moving a section of the existing shingle bank around 10 metres seaward and constructing improved beach access infrastructure. Costed at under £500,000, they say it would protect the road for the next century without requiring a new bypass.

The group has published artist’s impressions of its plan and launched a crowdfunder to fund their own planning submission.

Environmental and tourism concerns

Environmental impact is a key issue for campaigners, who warn that building the new road would irreversibly alter the Brandy Brook valley—a landscape currently part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.

According to technical documents seen by The Herald, the proposed bypass would require a 120-metre-long, 15-metre-high concrete bridge supported by over 100 buried columns. Construction would involve thousands of tonnes of materials and temporary access roads, which STUN claims would pose pollution risks to the watercourse and destroy natural habitats.

They also argue that the loss of facilities such as public toilets, the T11 bus stop, and nature trails through campsites could harm the local tourism industry.

Support from local councils and politicians

Several community councils in the area—Brawdy, Solva, Nolton and Roch—have submitted formal objections. Senedd Member Paul Davies has also publicly backed STUN’s alternative, warning that the current proposal is financially irresponsible.

“I am very disappointed that the council is pushing ahead with its plans rather than working with the community on a much more affordable scheme,” Mr Davies said. “We know the council is struggling financially, and yet somehow it is content to find millions of pounds for a scheme the local community opposes.”

Suspicions over military connection

Some residents have raised questions about the scheme’s timing, given a proposed US military radar installation at nearby Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy. The Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) project, involving 27 large radars, would require substantial construction traffic.

STUN believes the bypass may be intended to facilitate this and argues that, if linked, the road and radar plans should be submitted together for planning approval.

Council response

Pembrokeshire County Council has maintained that the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project is vital for ensuring long-term resilience to climate change. The council has previously stated that sea level rise and worsening storm conditions present a growing risk to the A487.

A spokesperson said the scheme remains at the consultation stage and that all feedback submitted before the May 11 deadline will be carefully considered.

Public urged to take part

Campaigners are encouraging members of the public to submit objections or comments during the consultation window.

How to have your say:

Email: [email protected] (copy: [email protected])
Post:
Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team
AtkinsRéalis
12 Orchard Street
Swansea
SA1 5AD

The consultation runs until Saturday, May 11, 2025.