Plans have been made to enhance the biodiversity in Withybush Woods, while also installing a new staff car park.

Puffin Produce has made a planning application to Pembrokeshire County Council, which would see a new staff car park installed, and also to create a ‘replacement woodland’ on the site owned by the company.

The collection of trees at the current woodland is dominated by Ash trees, which add up to around 55 per cent of the trees in the area.

However, the trees, due to current condition and threat of disease, will soon require removal.

A spokesperson from the application said: “Despite the inevitable requirement to remove at least 55 per cent of the existing tree cover on the northern element of the application site, this application proposal seeks to create a replacement woodland to mitigate for the remaining loss.

“The new woodland will have a more diverse species mix, which will in turn also provide seasonally longer cover.

“The process of creating this new and larger area of woodland will include the translocation of the soil from the northern site to the southern site, as well as tree stumps, saplings and some larger coppiced specimens.”

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The application has come about after Puffin Produce’s recent business growth, with the company now reaching 150 members of staff – a 50 per cent increase from the level five years ago.

The spokesperson said that the company’s business growth is “providing great social and economic benefit to the immediate and wider economy of Pembrokeshire.”

With the overall site only having in the region of 32 car parking spaces for staff, Puffin Produce has also put in a planning application for a new company car park.

The new car park would sit in a more northern region of land owned by Puffin Produce, while the replacement woodland would sit in an area more southerly on the site owned by the company.

It is hoped that the proposals, should they be approved, will benefit both on-site and off-site interests, with the inclusion of the biodiversity enhancements.

The application has been sent to County Hall, with the company now waiting to hear back from the consultation period.

The entire application can be seen here.