An application for a controversial seismic gas and oil survey off the west Wales coast has been suspended.

An application by energy company Eni UK Ltd to carry out a geological survey had been roundly condemned by politicians and marine conservation groups.

Goodwick-based Sea Trust warned that the survey inside a special conservation area in Cardigan Bay could have a harmful impact on bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises.

And Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth wrote to local MPs, Assembly Members and Government Ministers urging them to oppose the application because of its "harmful impact on marine wildlife, local tourism and fishing, and climate change".

But in a letter to Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth today, a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy revealed the planned survey had been halted.

“Before the applications could be determined BEIS Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning would also have to undertake a Habitats Regulations Assessment to determine whether there would be a likely significant effect on any protected species or the integrity of any protected sites,” reads the letter.

“To date, the applications have not been determined, and at Eni UK Ltd’s request all work on the applications has now been suspended.

“I can also assure you that approval would not be granted if it was determined that the proposals were likely to have any significant adverse effects on the local wildlife or the integrity of any Special Areas of Conservation.”

Giving his reaction, Gordon James, of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth, said: “We are delighted to learn that this outrageous plan to search for oil and gas in one of the UK’s most valuable marine wildlife areas has been suspended.

“The proposal triggered an extremely angry response throughout west Wales and further afield. It made a mockery of the declaration of a climate change emergency by the Welsh Government and the House of Commons and flew in the face of growing international concern about wildlife extinction.

“We now call upon the company to totally scrap, rather than just suspend, this application.

“We also call upon the Welsh Government to tighten their policies to ensure that this sort of application cannot happen again.”

Giving his reaction, Preseli Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb, who had also written to Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, voicing his concerns, said: "I am very glad to hear this and know how reassuring this will be for those constituents who had raised concerns.”