Politicians, residents and environmental groups have welcomed news of a U-turn on an application to carry out a major exploration for oil and gas inside highly sensitive special areas of conservation off the Aberystwyth coast.

Last month the Cambrian News revealed that Eni UK, a subsidiary of the Rome-based oil and gas multinational Eni SpA, wanted to carry out three-dimensional seismic shooting over nearly 370 square miles of outer Cardigan Bay between Aberystwyth and Wexford.

The company had already carried out an environmental impact assessment on the proposals, but said that it “currently has no planned seismic surveys scheduled for the outer Cardigan Bay area”.

The application sparked a major backlash, with environmental groups and local politicians calling for the plans to be abandoned.

Following the reaction, the company has pulled the plans.

In a letter to an environmental group, a spokesperson for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed the planned survey had been halted.

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake, who wrote to the department to raise “serious concerns” over the plans, said he was “very pleased to hear that work on the proposed seismic survey in Cardigan Bay has now been suspended”.

“Such a decision is consistent with the UK government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions pursuant to the Paris Agreement,” he said.

“I now hope that renewed attention can be given to the potential that the Welsh coastline has to support green energy, the development of which could sustain employment locally for generations as well as honour our obligations to the environment.”

Alan Cookson of the Gwerin y Glannau group said: “Communities around the bay have been united in their outrage and opposition to this proposal and we’re sure will be relived to hear of its suspension.”

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