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Pembrokeshire Herald
11-05-2025
- General
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Petition to stop plans to move A487 coastal road inland
A PETITION calling on Pembrokeshire County Council to halt a proposed road realignment scheme at a coastal village, and instead look at a cheaper alternative scheme, has been launched. A public consultation was recently launched ahead of a formal Pembrokeshire County Council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed and removed, among other works. Varied claims have been made about the cost of this scheme, from £20m upwards, with some saying it could cost as much as £60m, with millions spent on consultation fees to date. Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020. In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron, as part of a tour of the UK to 'learn lessons' following storms and flooding that year. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet backed a recommendation, long-term, for an inland highway link for the A487. A supporting statement through agent AtkinsRéalis says a 2020 report commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council into coastal change at Newgale concluded 'that continued efforts to maintain the shingle ridge as a defence is highly likely to be unsustainable beyond 2035, more realistically by 2030,' adding: 'Early action is required before the road becomes impassable and unsafe.' However, opponents have said the costs associated with the 2014 flooding incident – which they say was a flooding incident rather than the effects of climate change – would cost less for 3,000 years' worth of clear-ups than the new road scheme. An alternative scheme has been proposed by STUN – Stand Up for Newgale, who have accused AtkinsRéalis and Pembrokeshire County Council of misleading the public over the need for the new Newgale bypass. It says that by using photos of 'the only major flood Newgale has ever had,' in 2014, they are 'over-dramatising' and 'using shock tactics' designed 'to scare people into supporting an unnecessary £40-60 million new road, which, if built would cause devastation to Newgale's ecology and local countryside and would be a blight on the iconic Brandy Brook valley through which the new road would pass'. STUN's alternative scheme would, it says, be an 'alternative low-cost solution to counter any threat from the sea that will protect Newgale for at least 85 – 100 years'. STUN's alternative proposes a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres to the seaward leaving an over wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water. It has also linked the proposed road realignment scheme to a proposed US military DARC Radar Array, which would involve the construction of 27 Deep Space Radars, each 21 metres tall at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy, above Newgale, which it says could not go ahead without the new road in place due to the high levels of lorry traffic DARC's construction and operation would involve. STUN has said: 'Newgale is a jewel in the crown of our tourism rich peninsular, so why is there such determination to waste £60 million of taxpayers money on a completely unnecessary road which would only ever potentially benefit a US military base, and from which the ecology and wildlife of Brandy Brook could never recover?' The council proposals have encountered strong opposition, including local Senedd member Paul Davies MS, who said it was 'ill conceived,' with STUN's alternative less invasive and one that would 'save the council, and local taxpayers, huge amounts of money'. A petition has now been launched opposing the Newgale coastal realignment scheme. It says: 'We believe that the current plan—estimated to cost between £25–£40 million, with consultation fees already exceeding £4 million—requires further scrutiny, transparency, and public engagement. 'At this stage, we call for a thorough consideration of STUN's (Stand up for Newgale) alternative scheme, or at the very least, a pause on current proceedings until all viable options have been fully explored. 'The Brandy Brook Valley is an ecologically sensitive and historically significant landscape. Routing a major road through this area risks irreversible damage to its unique natural character, habitats, and community heritage. 'This is not just a financial concern—it is a matter of protecting our shared environment, ensuring community voices are heard, and making responsible, future-facing decisions for Pembrokeshire. 'We respectfully request that Pembrokeshire County Council takes immediate action to: Pause the current development of the Newgale route. Open a transparent review of all alternative proposals, including STUN's plan. Engage in meaningful consultation with local communities, experts, and stakeholders.' STUN has launched a Crowdfunder aimed at funding its alternative planning application. The Pembrokeshire County Council proposals have been previously costed at £20m. The Pre-application Consultation runs until May 11, with plans available online; comments may be sent to Newgale@ or by post: Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team, AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.
Western Telegraph
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Petition to stop plans to move A487 coastal road inland
A public consultation was recently launched ahead of a formal Pembrokeshire County Council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed and removed, among other works. Varied claims have been made about the cost of this scheme, from £20m upwards, with some saying it could cost as much as £60m, with millions spent on consultation fees to date. Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020. In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron, as part of a tour of the UK to 'learn lessons' following storms and flooding that year. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet backed a recommendation, long-term, for an inland highway link for the A487. A supporting statement through agent AtkinsRéalis says a 2020 report commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council into coastal change at Newgale concluded 'that continued efforts to maintain the shingle ridge as a defence is highly likely to be unsustainable beyond 2035, more realistically by 2030,' adding: 'Early action is required before the road becomes impassable and unsafe.' However, opponents have said the costs associated with the 2014 flooding incident – which they say was a flooding incident rather than the effects of climate change - would cost less for 3,000 years' worth of clear-ups than the new road scheme. An alternative scheme has been proposed by STUN - Stand Up for Newgale, who have accused AtkinsRéalis and Pembrokeshire County Council of misleading the public over the need for the new Newgale bypass. It says that by using photos of "the only major flood Newgale has ever had," in 2014, they are 'over-dramatising' and 'using shock tactics' designed 'to scare people into supporting an unnecessary £40-60 million new road, which, if built would cause devastation to Newgale's ecology and local countryside and would be a blight on the iconic Brandy Brook valley through which the new road would pass'. STUN's alternative scheme would, it says, be an 'alternative low-cost solution to counter any threat from the sea that will protect Newgale for at least 85 - 100 years'. STUN's alternative proposes a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres to the seaward leaving an over wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water. It has also linked the proposed road realignment scheme to a proposed US military DARC Radar Array, which would involve the construction of 27 Deep Space Radars, each 21 metres tall at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy, above Newgale, which it says could not go ahead without the new road in place due to the high levels of lorry traffic DARC's construction and operation would involve. STUN has said: 'Newgale is a jewel in the crown of our tourism rich peninsular, so why is there such determination to waste £60 million of taxpayers money on a completely unnecessary road which would only ever potentially benefit a US military base, and from which the ecology and wildlife of Brandy Brook could never recover?' The council proposals have encountered strong opposition, including local Senedd member Paul Davies MS, who said it was "ill conceived," with STUN's alternative less invasive and one that would "save the council, and local taxpayers, huge amounts of money'. A petition has now been launched opposing the Newgale coastal realignment scheme. It says: 'We believe that the current plan—estimated to cost between £25–£40 million, with consultation fees already exceeding £4 million—requires further scrutiny, transparency, and public engagement. "At this stage, we call for a thorough consideration of STUN's (Stand up for Newgale) alternative scheme, or at the very least, a pause on current proceedings until all viable options have been fully explored. 'The Brandy Brook Valley is an ecologically sensitive and historically significant landscape. Routing a major road through this area risks irreversible damage to its unique natural character, habitats, and community heritage. 'This is not just a financial concern—it is a matter of protecting our shared environment, ensuring community voices are heard, and making responsible, future-facing decisions for Pembrokeshire. 'We respectfully request that Pembrokeshire County Council takes immediate action to: Pause the current development of the Newgale route. Open a transparent review of all alternative proposals, including STUN's plan. Engage in meaningful consultation with local communities, experts, and stakeholders.' STUN has launched a Crowdfunder aimed at funding its alternative planning application. The Pembrokeshire County Council proposals have been previously costed at £20m. The Pre-application Consultation runs until May 11, with plans available online; comments may be sent to Newgale@ or by post: Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team, AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Seaside town's main road will soon be underwater but there's a row over what happens next
Seaside town's main road will soon be underwater but there's a row over what happens next A consultation has been launched for a proposed new road in Newgale that would, in time, replace the existing one, but another option has been suggested A car is stuck along the A487 in Newgale, Pembrokeshire, during a storm (Image: HM Coastguard - Broad Haven ) The deputy leader of the Welsh Conservatives has urged Pembrokeshire Council to work with locals on a "more cost-effective, environmentally sensitive solution" following the launch of a consultation into a potential multi-million-pound inland realignment of a seaside road. The public consultation is part of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project's first phase, which includes plans for a new inland section of road with a bridge over Brandy Brook, replacing the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed and removed. Newgale was severely affected by flooding after storms in 2014 and again during Storm Dennis in 2020. In 2014, then Prime Minister David Cameron visited the area as part of a UK tour to "learn lessons" from the storms and flooding that year. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . The road was closed for about two weeks after waves breached pebble defences, stranding a Richards Bros bus in floodwater and leading to the rescue of around 10 passengers. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet backed a recommendation for a long-term inland highway link for the A487. You can read more about fears that a section of the A487 will be lost to the sea in years to come here. A bus is partially submerged in water on the A487 in Newgale in 2014 (Image: Matthew Horwood/Wales News Service ) An agent for AtkinsRéalis highlighted a sobering 2020 report commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council regarding the coastal change at Newgale which concluded "that continued efforts to maintain the shingle ridge as a defence is highly likely to be unsustainable beyond 2035, more realistically by 2030," and stressed: "Early action is required before the road becomes impassable and unsafe." Article continues below Meanwhile, Stand Up for Newgale (STUN) has pushed forward a more budget-friendly alternative, the Newgale Beach Shingle Bank Realignment Scheme (NSBRS), which suggests adjusting a part of the shingle bank about 10-12 metres seawards. This would create an over wash barrier between the newly positioned bank and the A487, effectively trapping pebbles and sea water. Cost estimates for Pembrokeshire County Council's own proposals are alarming, initially calculated at £20m but now potentially doubling to £40m. Expenses for consultation alone are said to have reached £2m up to this point. A section of the A487 in Newgale under water in 2014 (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) The proposed new route in Newgale (Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service ) Preseli Pembrokeshire's Senedd member and recently appointed Welsh Conservatives' deputy leader, Paul Davies, who supports STUN's initiative, expressed his disappointment with the council's direction, claiming its plan disregarded both community interests and cost-effectiveness. He said: "I'm very disappointed that the council is pushing ahead with its plans rather than working with the community on a much more affordable scheme. "We know the council is struggling financially and yet somehow, it's content to find millions of pounds for a scheme that the local community opposes. "In my view Pembrokeshire County Council's plans are ill conceived. Any changes to the infrastructure in Newgale must meet the needs of the local community and should aim to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. "I've raised this at the Senedd, and I will be doing so again, urging the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to intervene and support the local community." Article continues below The public have until May 11 to scrutinise the proposals during the pre-application consultation. Plans can be viewed online, and comments may be shared via email to Newgale@ or by traditional post to the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team at AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.
Western Telegraph
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Newgale coastal road relocation plans slammed by local
A public consultation has been launched ahead of a formal Pembrokeshire County Council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed and removed, among other works. Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020. In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron, as part of a tour of the UK to 'learn lessons' following storms and flooding that year. The main A487 road was closed for about 14 days after waves breached pebble defences that year, and a Richards Bros bus was stranded in floodwater after it was hit by a high wave, leading to the rescue of around 10 passengers. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet backed a recommendation, long-term, for an inland highway link for the A487. A supporting statement through agent AtkinsRéalis says a 2020 report commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council into coastal change at Newgale concluded 'that continued efforts to maintain the shingle ridge as a defence is highly likely to be unsustainable beyond 2035, more realistically by 2030,' adding: 'Early action is required before the road becomes impassable and unsafe.' An alternative, cheaper, approach, the Newgale Beach Shingle Bank Realignment Scheme (NSBRS) scheme, by Stand Up for Newgale (STUN), had proposed a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres to the seaward leaving an over wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water. The Pembrokeshire County Council proposals have been previously costed at £20m, with some raising that as high as £40m now, with consultation costs alone to date said to be some £2m. Pembrokeshire's Preseli Senedd member Paul Davies, recently promoted to the Welsh Conservatives' deputy leader, is working with STUN over its proposal, which he said 'is less invasive and would save the council, and local taxpayers, huge amounts of money'. Mr Davies said: 'I'm very disappointed that the council is pushing ahead with its plans rather than working with the community on a much more affordable scheme. We know the council is struggling financially and yet somehow, it's content to find millions of pounds for a scheme that the local community opposes.' 'In my view Pembrokeshire County Council's plans are ill conceived. Any changes to the infrastructure in Newgale must meet the needs of the local community and should aim to be as environmentally sensitive as possible. I've raised this at the Senedd, and I will be doing so again, urging the Cabinet Secretary for Transport to intervene and support the local community.' The Pre-application Consultation runs until May 11, with plans available online; comments may be sent to Newgale@ or by post: Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team, AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.
Pembrokeshire Herald
26-04-2025
- General
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Milford Haven and Neyland Police issue appeal for missing man
A PUBLIC consultation has been launched on the first phase of a potential inland realignment of a Pembrokeshire seaside road which has been hit by heavy flooding. The consultation is ahead of a formal Pembrokeshire County Council application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park for Phase 1 of the Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, which would see the development of a new inland section of road with bridge over Brandy Brook some 2.3km inland, to replace the coastal section of A487 at Newgale that will be closed and removed, and corresponding reclassification of Newgale Hill and Wood Hill coupled with local access improvements within Newgale. These will comprise a short access road to existing beach front commercial properties, to be in place for up to ten years, bus stop provisions and turning facilities, and a traffic-free Shared Use Path that will replace part of the Wales Coast Path. Newgale was hit hard by flooding following storms in early 2014 storms, and later by Storm Dennis in 2020. In 2014 it even saw a visit by the-then Prime Minister David Cameron, as part of a tour of the UK to 'learn lessons' following storms and flooding that year. The main A487 road was closed for about 14 days after waves breached pebble defences that year, and a Richards Bros bus was stranded in floodwater after it was hit by a high wave, leading to the rescue of around 10 passengers. In 2018, Pembrokeshire County Council's Cabinet backed a recommendation, long-term, for an inland highway link for the A487. A supporting statement through agent AtkinsRéalis says the recommended strategic coastal management policy for Newgale is 'managed realignment,' allowing the coastline to move backwards and retreat inland, but with management to control the movement, the shoreline management plan recommending that a policy of 'no active intervention' is implemented from 2055, meaning no investment in coastal defence or operations. The Phase 1 proposals comprise of: Rerouting the Newgale section of the A487 main St Davids to Haverfordwest road. Creating a new walking and cycling path through Newgale. Changing access to the beach and coastal businesses. Releasing space for the beach to adapt to coastal change. The statement adds: 'The village of Newgale and the adjacent coastal stretch of the A487 are affected by flooding from waves overtopping the shingle ridge. During storm events, high waves throw shingle onto the road, which can cause flooding of the land behind. Shingle that has landed on the road, blocks access and causes temporary closure of the road until it can be cleared. The road is maintained by shingle clearance on a regular basis, and during periods when the road has to be closed, this causes significant traffic disruption.' It says a 2020 report commissioned by Pembrokeshire County Council into coastal change at Newgale concluded 'that continued efforts to maintain the shingle ridge as a defence is highly likely to be unsustainable beyond 2035, more realistically by 2030,' adding: 'Early action is required before the road becomes impassable and unsafe.' The phase 1 scheme is part of a possible wider Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project, with many other potential future works. An alternative approach, the Newgale Beach Shingle Bank Realignment Scheme (NSBRS) scheme, by Stand Up for Newgale (STUN), had proposed a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres to the seaward leaving an over wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water. The Pembrokeshire County Council proposals have been previously costed at £20m, with some raising that as high as £40m now, with consultation costs alone to date said to be some £2m. The Pre-application Consultation runs until May 11, with plans available online; comments may be sent to Newgale@ or by post: Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team, AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.
