THE organisation that will consider a new application for a permit for waste site in Pembroke Dock has acknowledged that local people will have concerns after previous problems.

There has previously been complaints of smells as waste was awaiting to be loaded onto ships.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has now received an application from Pembrokeshire County Council to change its environmental permit for a waste transfer station in Pembroke Dock.

The site currently holds a permit allowing the storage of non-hazardous waste which is processed, baled and wrapped, then stored on site until it is transferred on.

The council has applied to change the conditions of its permit to expand the area of land in which it is allowed to store and treat waste, and the waste types it is allowed to accept. It also intends to change the treatment processes allowed on site to baling of waste only.

The new types of waste it proposes to store include non-hazardous recycling such as paper, cardboard, metals, glass and textiles.

The requested change to the permit would not increase the duration of time in which waste is allowed to be stored, or the overall annual volume of waste it is allowed to accept.

A separate application has been made to also surrender some land from its permit.

Gavin Bown, Operations Manager from NRW said: “We appreciate the community has concerns following the poor management of the site by its previous operator, and we want to make sure they have the opportunity to have their say as we assess this application.

“Enforcement action against the previous operator is ongoing, and regular inspections are being made to the site which was taken over by the council in August last year.

“We will only change the conditions of the permit if we are confident that the council has the right plans and measures in place to continue to run the site without causing harm to local people or the environment.”

As NRW considers the council’s application, it launches a six-week consultation with local people, businesses and other experts including Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Public Health Wales and Hywel Dda University Health Board.

This is an opportunity to raise any concerns or provide NRW with any important information it needs to be aware of as it assesses the application.

A public drop in session will also take place at the Pembroke Dock Town Council offices, Dimond Street, on Tuesday August 6 between 2-7pm.

The consultation will close on 30 August 2019.

Electronic copies of the application are available on the NRW website.

A hard copy is also available by request to the email or postal address below.

All comments need to be received in writing by 30 August 2019 to permittingconsultations@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk or:

Permitting Team Leader (Waste), Natural Resources Wales, Permitting Service (Cardiff), Cambria House, 29 Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 0TP.