PEMBROKE Dock Town Council is calling for plans to operate a waste storage and transfer station at the town’s dockyard to be dropped.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has previously announced that it is likely to grant Milford Haven Port Authority with an environmental permit to operate a waste storage and transfer station at Pembroke Dock.

The decision comes following a detailed assessment of the plans, plus advice from other specialists including Public Health Wales and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The permit requests temporary storage of baled fuel derived from waste, namely Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF), pending onward transfer.

The maximum amount of RDF, SRF or wood proposed to be stored at any one time is to be less than 9,000 tonnes at any one time.

Following the November 7 meeting of the town council, members agreed a letter of calling for the scheme to be dropped be sent to the Port of Milford Haven.

The letter states: “Pembroke Dock Town Council would like the board of directors of the Port of Milford Haven to reconsider their plan to establish a Waste Transfer Station for Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in Pembroke Dock.

“We do not think the dockyard in Pembroke Dock is the right place to store and transport mixed household and commercial waste.

“The proposed storage site is within metres of housing, visitor attractions, a hospital for people with terminal illnesses and food and drink businesses.

“If, as a country, we must export RDF and SRF until we manage to reduce our unsustainable level of waste production, we think it should be shipped through other ports that are further from the centre of their communities.

“In our opinion, the scale of the potential benefits to the town in terms of the ongoing success of the port do not seem to outweigh the very real risk to the community if things go wrong.

“Therefore, we are asking the board of directors to put a stop to this project.”