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The Welsh government has been accused of “sitting on” a planning application for a space defence project out of “ideological” opposition to Donald Trump.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in 2024 that the Cawdor Barracks in Pembrokeshire will be the home of the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (Darc).
Darc will detect, track and identify objects in deep space in collaboration with radars from the UK’s allies, as part of a an agreement between the UK, Australia and the US to provide global space monitoring to tackle threats from hostile threats.
But Labour sources have reportedly accused Plaid Cymru, who lead the Senedd, of stalling the project because it sees the US as an “enemy”.
In July, the Welsh government “called in” the planning application, effectively putting the decision into minister’s hands.
Campaigners standing against the development over fears for public safety, tourism and security, praised the planning decision a “historically significant moment”
But one Labour source told The Telegraph that this move came from Plaid Cymru’s position as “anti-American”, calling the decision “ideological” and “crazy”.
They added that the idea Darc would put Wales in danger was false, saying it would offer better protection for the UK.
The MoD say the capability will benefit these nations’ land, air and maritime forces, as well as protecting critical infrastructure and benefitting domestic construction and space industries.
The Welsh Government said: “The power to call in a planning application rests with the Welsh Government and is a matter of planning policy, not defence policy.”
Labour MP for Pembrokeshire Henry Tufnell has accused the Welsh Government of “denying the local community the right to have their say over whether it would go ahead”.
“It is denying the local knowledge, cultural history and association with defence,” he told the paper.
“In Pembrokeshire, defence has always been part of our history and we have always played our part in the national story.
“We have been proud to do that. We had the Cawdor Barracks, we had the Pembroke Dock naval shipyard and the Castlemartin firing range.”
Cawdor Barracks has been both a Royal Air Force flying station and a Royal Navy base.
The site is currently home to 14 Signal Regiment, with the MoD in 2016 saying that the barracks would close no earlier than 2028.
The redevelopment of the site for Darc would keep the site open, with a permanent presence of up to 100 personnel to operate and maintain the radar capability.
An MoD spokesperson said: “DARC is critical to the UK’s national resilience and security. The MOD’s planning application has been produced in compliance with all applicable UK and devolved legislative requirements.
“We continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to support the planning application process in Wales.”