Plans for power station at ex-armaments depot approved
Plans to build a power station at the former Royal Navy armaments depot at Trecwn have been approved by Pembrokeshire council.
By Aled ScourfieldBBC News The Valley (Pembrokeshire) Ltd say about 45 full-time jobs will be created by the development, along with 250 construction jobs. The biomass plant will generate energy from burning forestry and saw mill residues and recycled wood. It is expected to take 30 months to build the plant. The original depot was used to store explosives and munitions at Trecwn, employing about 500 people. Tunnels and chambers Built at the start of the World War Two, it was the largest and most secret arms depot in Europe. The sprawling former military site is around 445 hectares (1,100 acres) in size - an area covering over 600 football pitches - and includes 58 tunnels and chambers, which cut into the hillsides. It closed in 1995. Controversial plans to store nuclear waste at Trecwn by previous owners Omega Pacific were shelved after public opposition. The Valley Ltd plan to use by-products of forestry and recycled wood from UK local authorities and businesses. It is likely that the fuel will be delivered to the site by road and this will amount to 53 HGV deliveries per day. Planning officers have recommended approval despite objections from Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth who claim that the new plant will be inefficient, and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales who say there will be an impact from pollution.