Planning permission granted for Big Pit Museum upgrade

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

Wales’ historic coal mining museum is turning its back on fossil fuels in favour of decarbonisation.

Big Pit in Blaenavon became a mining museum in the early 1980s after it closed as a working mine at the start of the decade, with the loss of 250 jobs.

The town’s contribution to the industrial revolution, through the development of the iron and coal industries, was however recognised when United Nations cultural body UNESCO awarded the area World Heritage status in 2000.

Despite Big Pit having supplied millions of tonnes of coal over some 200 years the museum that showcases the history of extracting the mineral often referred to as “black gold”, and its social and cultural impact, is moving away from the fuel that powered Blaenavon and the world.

National Museum Wales, which owns and runs the open-air attraction and deep mine museum, is installing air source heat pumps as an alternative, and green, power supply.

Five pumps will be installed at the back of an existing conservation workshop building at the museum.

Torfaen Borough Council’s planning department has given the go-ahead for the pumps and planning officer Mia McAndrew said in a report which granted the approval: “The works aid the decarbonisation of Big Pit through the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.”

Her report said while the museum site is in the open countryside the council’s planning policy “favourably considers proposals that add to the tourism offer of Big Pit National Mining Museum and the World Heritage Site.”

Rising ground at the back of the workshop will also screen the pumps from views from the surrounding area with the landscape recognised as part of the world heritage designation.

An error saw an application for listed building consent also submitted with the application in February last year, but that was withdrawn when it was realised the workshop isn’t a listed building.

The planning department has also given the go-ahead to demolish and replace the fan house projection at the back of the grade II-listed Fan and Compressor House at Big Pit.

The fan house is close the Pithead Baths and internal work is required to replace the “decaying” historic timber ceiling boards as well as replacing windows and will preserve the integrity of the listed building.

Permission has also been granted for a new gravel path to the building.

The works are supported by Welsh historic buildings body Cadw and the council’s heritage officer and listed building consent has also been granted.