Wales vs Westminster showdown as campaigners request ‘call in’ of US military radar plans

Stephen Price

Campaigners who who oppose the siting of a controversial scheme which could see 27 US military radars being built in the UK’s only coastal national park have called for a review of the proposed developments following Plaid Cymru’s historic Senedd election win.

PARC Against DARC, the campaign which was set up in 2024 to oppose the US military’s proposed DARC radar array in Pembrokeshire, has submitted an official request to ‘call in’ the Planning application for DARC radar to the newly formed Welsh government, citing what it describes as “an extremely promising step forward for the campaign with an anti-DARC Plaid Cymru government now elected in the Senedd.”

This comes as Rhun ap Iorwerth, who was confirmed as Wales’s First Minister on Tuesday, announced his cabinet choices of ministerial positions within his new government. Key to these appointments is the new Local government, housing and planning minister – Siân Gwenllian who may now become the arbiter of one of the most important and pivotal planning decisions to be made in Wales’ recent history.

The controversial scheme which would involve building 27 ‘space wars’ radars within a stone’s throw of Britain’s only coastal National Park has been described by campaigners as a ‘military monstrosity,’ which they say would give the US and Donald Trump the ability to militarily dominate space from Wales, an objective Trump has publicly stated.

Campaigners have also previously criticised the sitting Labour MP for the local constituency Henry Tufnell’s touting of ‘local jobs’ he says the radar will bring, pointing out that ‘even the MOD’s EIA admits that the few dozen jobs claimed would be of “low numbers” and “not significant.”‘ PARC argues that the majority of jobs would be for US personnel as confirmed by an FOI release from the MOD, in what the campaigners describe as an overall substantial confirmed net loss of hundreds of jobs owing to DARC’s necessitated evacuation of 400-600 staff from Cawdor Barracks, and call Tufnell ‘clueless in the way he relies on outdated press releases for his information instead of actual facts.’

The contest to keep this US military project from being built on Welsh soil is about to seriously step up a gear, campaigners add, as Plaid Cymru voted at their national conference in October 2024 to take action to oppose the project, and so now may hold the keys to deciding its fate.

The MOD submitted the planning application for the US radar array to Pembrokeshire County Council earlier in April and the application is currently open to the public for objections or comments to be submitted during the publicity phase which will run up to May 20th.

‘Call it in’ say Campaigners

However, now that the mechanism known as ‘calling in’ the planning application to Welsh Government has been officially initiated by the PARC campaign, it means that freshly appointed Planning Minister Siân Gwenllian who now has the power to do so; is likely to take over adjudication of the application.

Campaigners argue that DARC should be called in to Welsh Government on the basis that it is ‘clearly a nationally significant development that lies well outside of the scope for consideration of Pembrokeshire County Council alone,’ urging that it is called in at the earliest opportunity so that a ‘fair and appropriate consideration of the suitability of a development that is so widely opposed can be placed within the context of the national priorities of Wales going forward.’

PARC campaigners invite the public to use their one-click tool to encourage Plaid Ministers to call in the DARC application at www.parcagainstdarc.com/call-it-in.

Given the context that almost all elected Plaid Cymru politicians have previously signed motions opposing DARC in both Westminster and the Senedd, campaigners express their hopes that the Welsh Government will come down on the side of the local community.

In April 2024 Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell tabled a ‘statement of opinion’ in opposition to DARC in the Welsh Senedd, Plaid MP Liz Saville-Roberts also later submitting an Early Day Motion opposing DARC in Westminster. Both gained cross party support, with Campbell’s statement being subscribed to by nearly a third of all sitting MSs.

Quoted at the time, Cefin Campbell, who has since been reelected for the Sir Gaerfyrddin constituency, said “Plaid Cymru has a long and honourable history of promoting peace around the globe and opposing militarism at every level. We cannot therefore support the construction of DARC and give space to American militarism on our land.

“Furthermore, no assessment at all has been completed on its impact on the community in terms of tourism, health, or the economy, and the assumption is that it will be harmful on each count.”

Overwhelming public opposition

PARC Against DARC also announced on their social media pages this week that within the MOD’s planning application an updated summary of consultation responses now provides clear evidence showing that out of 498 public responses sent in, 401 were PARC’s template objection email which members of the public had used, and all remaining summarised comments were also objections to the application, leading campaigners to suggest that ‘a credible 100% of recorded comments are likely against DARC.’

Having researched the radar array for over two years, the PARC campaign is due to submit a significant 150 thousand word objection against the proposal, raising several key areas of concern including net adverse visual, socioeconomic, military and strategic impacts; the applicant’s ‘maladministration of public consultations;’ and a summary of significant documented opposition to the proposal including protests, extensive media coverage, and a 19,000 signature opposing petition.

With such mounting evidence of opposition to the project and such a hefty planning objection to get stuck in to, the new planning minister looks set for a ‘baptism of fire’ as they assume office and will have to immediately deal with an UK-imposed proposal which could well set Wales and Westminster up for their first big showdown.

Seismic step change for Wales and the campaign to stop DARC

Campaigners said: “We are thrilled that Plaid Cymru, an anti-DARC government, have taken the reins in Cardiff, and we’re sure that the two new Green MSs will also support the opposition to DARC as the Green Party has also given its official opposition to the project at national level.”

“The election of the new Welsh Government is a huge and seismic development from our perspective. We have worked tirelessly to get the campaign to where it is now and have had over 160 news articles covering our efforts to build public opposition to this dreadful US military installation. Today, as we submit our official ‘call in’ request to the newly formed Welsh administration we know that as we fight to save our precious St Davids peninsula from being turned into a massive military target, we do so in the knowledge that the party in control of Wales has a proud and strong history of standing up for the people of Wales and standing for peace over the constant militarisation of our country, which has gone on now for years under successive previous governments.”

“The campaign is still far from won, but it has taken a huge step change in the right direction in the last few days, and we look forward to working very hard to bring our planning arguments to the Plaid Cymru government with a view to having our strong case heard, and continuing to play our part in helping to make sure that this US military abomination never sees the light of day.”