Plans for 500-seat entertainment area at Haverfordwest Castle spark concerns over noise levels

Plans to create a 500-seat multi-purpose entertainment area in the grounds of Haverfordwest’s castle raised both tales of the noise levels of Rolling Stones gigs and the biblical battle of Jericho.
An application before the July meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee recommended delegated conditional approval for the local authority application for the creation of a multi-purpose entertainment and events venue within the inner ward area of Haverfordwest Castle.
The application forms part of the Levelling-up-funded Heart of Pembrokeshire: Rediscovering Haverfordwest scheme.
The interior of the Grade-I-listed castle, a Scheduled Monument, is currently a grassy space next to the former Governor’s House (now used as a museum) and the adjacent former gâol building, a report for planners said.
It added: “The proposal comprises the creation of a multi-purpose entertainment and events venue to be used for a range of temporary events.  The capacity would be a minimum of 500 seated (with possibly more for standing events).
“The scope includes the provision of a temporary stage area and audience seating for performance events.  The same area would also be used as a ‘market street’ that would comprise temporary stalls.”
The works proposed consist of four elements: the re-contouring of the inner ward’s existing sloping topography, changes in levels to limited areas of ground around the internal perimeter of the castle’s north wall, the erection of permanent steel gates at the inner ward entrance, and the installation of a feeder pillar and below ground services run, committee members heard.
The applicant states that the proposal would “create a vibrant outdoor event space capable of supporting a range of activity as part of the normal castle visitor experience,” the report says, and “the space should be designed to be entirely removable (but in practice only removed on occasions when it is necessary to do so)”.
It added: “These proposals have been developed simultaneously with other schemes within the Scheduled Monument and Castle grounds such as the repairs to the castle and the refurbishment of the gâol. All three schemes are interlinked to deliver an improved visitor facility.”
At the July planning meeting, concerns about potential noise impact on the structure of the castle walls were raised by Cllr Iwan Ward, with Cllr Rhys Jordan, chairing the item as committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock had declared an interest, reflecting: “Rumour or truth, the Rolling Stones were [once] due to play Pembroke Castle until there were fears raised it would fall down.”
Cllr John Cole took a more biblical point of reference, reflecting: “Noise was supposed to have destroyed the walls of Jericho,” asking if there was a way of finding out about potential noise impact on the historic structure.
He was told that was a matter for CADW, which had approved Scheduled Monument consent, rather than the planning committee.
Moving delegated approval, Cllr Mark Carter said: “It’s another case of revitalising the town, it seems very sensible to me,” seconded by new committee member Cllr Andrew Edwards, who said it would “bring more footfall” into the town.
Delegated approval was overwhelmingly backed, with one abstention.
In 1973 promoters of the Stones, who were the biggest band in the world at the time, approached Pembroke Borough Council with the idea of staging a concert for 12,000 fans.
In the end the council decided that the event would be too risky and refused permission, but not before adverts had been placed in the national press and posters had been distributed.
The cancellation of the concert left a lot of people feeling very disappointed and it has been talked about in Pembroke ever since. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​