Tenby Town Council are to object to further requests for sand and gravel extraction off the Gower peninsula
Last November the town council expressed concerns as to the possible effect on the marine environment following a request by Llanelli Sand Dredging Limited for a 15-year marine aggregates licence for a 93km2 area of the North Outer Bristol Channel (Nobel Banks) some 10 miles west of Worms Head.
Before their meeting at the start of February was an application to the Welsh Assembly for a Government View from the same company seeking a 15-year licence to extract 300,000 tons annually from a 5.3 km2 area at Helwick Bank, some 2.5 km (approximately one-and-a-half miles) to the south of Worms Head.
At the time, councillors had decided to contact South Wales Sea Fisheries to see what their opinion was.
On receiving their reply, Clr. Mickey Folland told Tuesday night's meeting of the council that he was not convinced that the dredging would not effect the marine ecology.
"These banks are where the food-chain starts," he said. "The sand that is being removed was formed thousands of years ago, and will never be replaced.
"As such, the whole ecological system will suffer and I don't think we can support its removal."
Members agreed to write to the Welsh Assembly detailing their opposition to the licence.