The Welsh Government will decide on the controversial Deep Space Advanced Radar Concept (DARC) project in Pembrokeshire, removing the decision from local planners just days before a scheduled debate.
The Ministry of Defence applied earlier this year to Pembrokeshire Council for permission to install 27 radar antennae and associated works at Cawdor Barracks, Brawdy. The installation is part of a global network of sensors designed to track active satellites and other objects in orbit.
Project details and opposition
The DARC project would use three sites in the USA, UK and Australia as part of the AUKUS trilateral security partnership, providing "360-degree coverage of the sky at all times of day and under any weather conditions". Cawdor Barracks was identified as the preferred UK location in late 2023 by then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
A supporting statement says: "This capability is critical to protect and defend the services provided by satellites, ensuring continuity and resilience against collisions or debris-related incidents. Without DARC, the UK faces a significant risk of losing access to these vital services, which would have severe consequences for national security, economic stability, and public safety."
Opposition has been strong, with St Davids City Council unanimously against pre-application proposals, over 1,000 objections submitted to county planners, and protests outside the barracks and County Hall. Actor Jerome Flynn, a Pembrokeshire resident, called it "the most unspeakably abominable planning application led by the US military, backed by Donald Trump to place 27 radar dishes right on the edge of our beloved coastal national park".
Call-in decision
Campaign group PARC against DARC, formed in 2024, requested a 'call-in' to the Welsh Government. Siân Gwenllian MS, Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, issued the call-in, removing the application from the 28 July planning committee meeting.
Her letter to the council states: "The proposed development raises national security issues given the strategic defence nature of the proposal and is a novel planning issue. The proposal potentially conflicts with national policy in relation to landscape, ecology, sustainability and placemaking. A decision on the proposal may be controversial beyond the immediate locality, and there is already considerable public interest in the proposal."
PARC against DARC welcomed the decision, saying: "As we made in our case to Welsh ministers, the DARC proposal is part of a weapons system designed to track and target satellites belonging to other countries around the world. It is being developed for the US Space Force, which was created under Donald Trump, at a time when US military spending has doubled since he took office."
A planned protest on 28 July will now proceed as "a vigil in support of Welsh Government's call-in decision". Pembrokeshire Council confirmed receipt of the call-in on 21 July and said the application is transferred to Welsh Ministers, awaiting further details on the procedure and timetable.
