Victory for Welsh community as council planning committee rejects opencast coal mine

Late yesterday, Caerphilly Council Planning Committee unanimously rejected controversial proposals for a huge opencast coal mine. The Nant Llesg proposals would have meant mining six million tonnes of coal in the Rhymney Valley.

The decision came as a relief to the many local residents who have been battling against the opencast mine for years, as well as to the thousands of people who have signed petitions. More than 20 community representatives spoke in front of the council at the planning meeting to create an emotive orchestra of personal, economic and environmental reasons to reject the opencast.

Gareth Clubb, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

“This proposed opencast coal mine is dirty, destructive and deeply unpopular. We’re thoroughly delighted that councillors have unanimously called for it to be rejected.

“Time after time, elected Members have stood up for communities against big fossil fuel industries. We saw it in the National Assembly when they voted for a moratorium on opencast coal in April. And we’ve seen it again here with Caerphilly councillors voting against a massive opencast mine on the doorstep of communities in the upper Rhymney Valley.

“Public opinion is firmly against new opencast mines, and we call on the Welsh government to implement a moratorium on opencast in Wales immediately.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. The Nant Llesg opencast mine would lead to the mining of 6 million tonnes of coal, which when burned would result in 16.6 million tonnes of climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Over 6,000 people have signed a petition against Nant Llesg hosted by Friends of the Earth.