Contentious port application to go before planners amid historic building loss fears

Katy Jenkins, local democracy reporter

A plan for a major development at Pembroke Dock port will be back before county council planners next week.

The Port of Milford Haven’s ambitious plan which objectors fear is too large and will damage the historic dockyard was deferred from Pembrokeshire County Council’s April planning committee for a site visit.

The outline application is recommended for approval with a number of conditions and would require the final sign off from Welsh Government before it can go ahead.

At April’s committee members were told that the application was against planning policy in terms of “significant harm” and impact on the historic environment as well as visual impacts but met a number of national planning policies relating to marine and renewable energy.

The Port of Milford Haven has submitted one planning application, three listed building application and one conservation area application all related to its masterplan for the haven waterway and the Pembroke Dock Marine, Swansea Bay City Deal project.

Separate listed building applications for the infill of the dockyard’s timber pond and graving dock, including the removal and restoration of a caisson.

Supporting documents with the applications state that the two historic sites will be covered with a protective layer of sand before granular fill is put in and a building located partially on top.

The overall plans include the creation of a single large slipway, infilling of the graving dock and timber pond, demolition of various unlisted buildings in a conservation area, provision of large areas of hardstanding where buildings could be created for business, erection of buildings for the assembly, manufacturing and repair of vessels and devices, areas and buildings for the importation and storage of goods and raw materials for fabrication activities.

The planning committee will discuss the application at its meeting on May 18.