Report on £40m coastal road scheme expected before autumn

Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter

A full report on council proposals for a £40m-plus road realignment scheme at a flood-hit village before a formal planning application is made is expected to be completed by autumn.

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 following the storms.

A public consultation – through agent AtkinsRéalis – was launched earlier this year ahead of a formal Pembrokeshire 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.

Claims

Varied claims have been made about the cost of this scheme, from £20m upwards, some even saying it could cost as much as £60m, with millions spent on consultation fees to date.

An alternative, cheaper, scheme has been proposed by STUN – Stand Up for Newgale, proposing a section of the shingle bank at Newgale be realigned 10-12 metres seaward leaving an over-wash barrier between it and the A487 to capture any pebbles and sea water.

In a question, on behalf of Solva Community Council, heard at the July 17 meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council, community council chair Gareth Chapman said STUN’s proposal “appears to be an under £1m proposal with up to 85 years’ lifespan compared to the conservative £40m-plus estimate for the PCC proposal”.

The question added: “PCC’s proposal is to counter for road closures that rarely happen and, even then, require little expense to restore the pebble bank. It should also be remembered that on several occasions, flooding at Newgale occurs because the river outlet is blocked preventing water from the valley escaping and not as a result of a high tide or storm.

Climate change

“It is acknowledged that climate change and coastal issues at Newgale may eventually in many years force a change in the highway arrangements at Newgale but it is felt that all efforts should be made to retain the character of the village and iconic views for as long as possible.”

It also asked for the council to “commit to thoroughly examining the alternative proposal,” and to “fully take on board the overwhelming public opinion regarding the future of Newgale”.

Responding, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services Cllr Rhys Sinnett said a full presentation had been given to the local community council earlier this month, adding a number of options had been considered in 2016 and 2017 which were “ruled out at that stage for a number of reasons” prior to the scheme now mooted.

He told members the council had undertaken “extensive consultation which has all fed into the development of the scheme,” with a full report expected before the autumn prior to a formal planning application.

“Any coastal protection scheme, we believe, would be a multi-million-pound scheme, certainly in excess of the £1m from STUN,” said Cllr Sinnett, adding those proposals would “only delay the issue for a short period of time, if at all.”

He told members a response to the STUN proposals would be included as part of the full pre-application consultation responses, with council representatives agreeing to meet with STUN.