DARC Matters – 12 – The Newgale Road Consultation
Hard-hitting: PARC Against DARC’S latest publicity campaign
PARC Against DARC, the group campaigning against US/UK plans for a space radar station in the heart of the St Davids peninsula, has hailed what it calls “a great opportunity to take some important action”.
It says: “The official public consultation on the widely opposed Newgale bypass road scheme is live – and we all have an opportunity to officially take a stand against it that will count towards a planning decision… The deadline for your responses is 11 May – so there’s no time like the present.
“The Newgale bypass road, as many will be aware, is a project whose motives are shrouded in speculation, but one thing’s undeniably clear: there’s no doubt that the road would be of such massive benefit to and practical necessity for DARC [the space radar station] that there are good arguments the radar might not even have been considered viable without it.
“Besides this tension, however, the reasons that so many locals and West Wales residents, including the years-long Newgale campaign (STUN) and even local councillor and regional MS support, are dead against the massive proposed development on entirely its own terms speak for themselves.
“There’s the fact the highly unlikely 1.1-metre sea-level rise scenario predicted would be part of a global climate catastrophe so disastrous that it couldn’t possibly make sense to single out Newgale.
“There’s the colossal ecological and visual impacts of building, amongst other things, a bridge involving 50-metre deep foundations in an ancient bog across an iconic valley… There’s the decimation for local businesses facing the closure of one of the most important seaside roads in the county. And there’s the widely praised alternative STUN proposal to move the pebble bank 10 metres seaward and save tens of millions of pounds. The problems, just like in the case of DARC radar, just keep on coming.”
PARC Against DARC has set up a pre-written email for people opposed to the road scheme to use, but says: “As ever, it’s great if you have a minute to write from the heart – and don’t forget your name, address and phone number. Have a scan of the application materials on Atkins’ consultation page, and/or just get sending your email to newgale@atkinsrealis.com now. The postal address: Newgale Coastal Adaptation Project Team, AtkinsRéalis, Floor 4, West Glamorgan House, 12 Orchard Street, Swansea, SA1 5AD.”
