Museum wins extension to keep vinyl wrapped Portakabin on site

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

The Big Pit mining museum has been told it can keep a Portakabin wrapped in vinyl to resemble red brickwork on site for an additional three months.

The unit, used as a staff room for pit-guides who take visitors underground at the former colliery that is now Wales’ national mining museum and forms part of Blaenavon World Heritage site, was first placed near the historic buildings in July, 2023 without planning permission.

When National Museum Wales made a retrospective application for approval in March last year it was granted on condition the unit would be removed by January 27 this year.

Extension

But in December it asked for that condition to be varied to allow an extension, and promised the unit, that was wrapped in the brickwork vinyl in an attempt to blend it in with its surroundings, will be removed by April 30 this year.

It also said it will comply with the second part of the condition, the land, described as scrub-land consisting of old tarmac/stone scalpings and rough grassland, is restored to its former condition.

Torfaen Borough Council, which had imposed the conditions, has agreed to the extensions, though the decision wasn’t taken until three weeks after the original deadline had passed.

The National Museum was granted planning permission to convert a disused blacksmith’s courtyard to a rest room for the guides in August 2024. The fitting shop forms part of a grade II-listed, U-shaped building that also houses the blacksmith’s shop and tea shop.

In its application to change the condition museum projects manager Paul Morgan said work to convert the courtyard was “penciled in” to start in January but not expected to be finished before April.

Concern

Torfaen planning officer Mia McAndrew said the short extension was acceptable but warned Welsh historic buildings body Cadw had raised concern.

Her report noted: “Cadw advised they would have significant concerns if the building was to remain on site for a significant period of time, but the impact of the proposed short three month period on the World Heritage Site is considered to be acceptable.”

Big Pit was a working mine from 1880 to 1980 and the buildings on the surface date from around 1900 to the 1970s.

Its name is due to its “elliptical shape and vast proportions, measuring 18ft by 13ft, making it the first mine in Wales big enough to allow two tramways.”

At its peak, in 1923, there were 1,399 men working at Big Pit producing coal including house, steam, ironside, and fireclay.

The modernist pit head baths were built in 1939 and Big Pit became a museum and tourist attraction in 1983.