Campaigners against the proposed Nant Llesg opencast mine called on Caerphilly councillors to ‘save the Upper Rhymney Valley’ during a protest at their Tredomen offices yesterday, January 27.
Around 50 demonstrators watched a mock trial looking into ‘the death of the valley’, symbolising what they claim will be the result of extracting six million tonnes of coal over the next 15 years between Fochriw and Rhymney.
Protesters ranging from local residents, politicians and environmentalists said the mine would result in job losses, dust, noise and light pollution and leave the site an eyesore, while affecting habitats.
They were protesting as councillors arrived at possibly the last full council meeting before deciding on developer Miller Argent’s planning application.
Speaking to the crowd, Ffion Matthews, from Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: “Being surrounded by the beautiful landscapes of the area, I find it disturbing that Miller Argent have the audacity to even suggest that a large opencast mine would enhance the landscape.
“This an is insult to the community, we don’t need your assistance to enhance this landscape, and another big black hole scarring the area for more than a decade certainly isn’t the way to do it.
“There is solid evidence that investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency will create far more job opportunities.
“What would you rather see? A positive and progressive future where our energy is produced in safe and clean ways with long term sustainable jobs, or a step backwards to old and dirty fossil fuels, which scar our landscapes and communities?”
Eddy Blanche, Chair of Fochriw and Pentwyn Residents Association, called on councillors to vote against the mine when it is discussed at the planning committee next month.
He said: “Sure this area was built on coal, but that was then and this is now. Lets not look back to the past of our grandfathers, let’s look to the future of our grandchildren.
“Yes we need employment, but the right kind of employment. The type of employment that will still be there when our grandchildren grow up.
“The council need to make a stand. They need to listen to the people that elected them and not to the coal masters that wish to destroy our Valleys.”
But Green Party parliamentary candidate for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, Elspeth Parris, said the Fros-y-Fran opencast mine is a “serious eyesore” causing pollution that people of The Valleys “thought was a thing of the past”.
She said: “There’s also the problem of what happens when, eventually, the opencast mine is finished. What the developers put forward is that they will landscape everything nicely with our hills restored to what they once were, pre industrial time.
“But what happens if things go wrong? If as we move away from coal, as we must, their operation ceases to be profitable. Opencast operations in Scotland went broke and the company concerned (not associated with Miller Argent) just left them. No landscaping. No tidying up, no leaving the landscape beautiful.
“How green were our valleys? How green were our hills? Nant Llesg, like Ffos-y-Ffran which it extends, will turn them back to black.”
Conservationist John Williams said the marshland near the site was a breeding ground for birds such as skylarks and lapins, while migrating birds visit the plane where the mine would be developed.
Nearly 150 official responses and more than 5,700 objections have been received by Caerphilly County Borough Council regarding the planned mine.
A Caerphilly County Borough council spokesperson said: “Any objections or comments for this proposed development, as with all planning applications received by the council, will be fully considered as part of the planning process.”
Neil Brown, Managing Director of Miller Argent, said: “What residents deserve and expect is a rationale and informed debate, based on a proper understanding of the facts, not amateur dramatics.
“I am confident that the planning committee itself will be able to rationally sift the evidence and see the substantial economic and community benefits that this project would bring to the area.”
