MS warns of ‘dangerous precedent’ as mine owners launch last-minute appeal
A Plaid Cymru MS has described the last-minute appeal launched by Ffos-y-Ffran opencast mine against an order preventing coal from being extracted from the site of setting a ‘dangerous precedent’.
The council told the operators of the mine in Merthyr Tydfil to stop extracting coal just over a month ago.
The local authority issued an enforcement notice on May 24, following legal advice, requiring the end of the extraction of coal from the land by Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd and any other persons with an interest in the land at Ffos y-Fran.
The notice was due to take effect on June 27 as a statutory period of at least 28 days is required unless an appeal is made to the planning inspector before the due date.
The Welsh government confirmed this morning (28 June) that it understood the company was appealing.
A spokesman declined to comment further as it may “jeopardise any future decision Welsh ministers may have to make on the matter”.
Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd also confirmed an appeal had “been lodged with the Welsh ministers” and said it could not comment while the process was ongoing.
Disdain
Peredur Owen Griffiths, MS for South Wales East, said: “The mine operators are treating public authorities and local residents with utter disdain and contempt.
“They have ridden roughshod over planning law and gamed the appeals system in order to extract as much coal and profit from the land as they possibly can.
“Meanwhile, residents and the local environment are suffering while this matter is decided in the courts.”
He added: “I am concerned at the dangerous precedent this sets for the future. If we are not careful, Wales will be seen as a soft touch for corporations to do what they want.”
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The open cast mine is a blight on the area, I sympathise with local recidents as I drive past it. It could be months before the appeal is dealt with, with the company profiting in the meantime. Legislation has to be put in place to stop other operators doing this in the future – and they will definetely try it now this one has.
All coal extracted from now on should be used for the reclamation of the site as the company has already stated it has not got the funds to carry this out as per the original contract.
In the future the funds to provide any reclamation work should be paid up front or within a certain amount of time from the start of any work to hopefully stop companies using their “ limited “status to fail to carry out their contactual obligation
“The open cast mine is a blight on the area” are the miners bussed in from outside the area ?
Confiscate the coal and donate it to the ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’…
Good job all those lithium mines needed to meet the growing demand for batteries for EV’s and other applications are located somewhere out of sight. Lithium extraction is far more toxic than coal yet everybody is content to put up with it because it ends up in an alleged clean technology. This will come home to roost sooner rather than later.
We don’t have to worry. There are plans afoot to mine volcanoes and get these rare metals in a purer state. Too bad we have no active volcanoes in Cyru.