Slate waste plan brings concerns

There are plans to make use of slate waste from Penrhyn

Residents have voiced their concern about plans to make use of the millions of tonnes of slate waste which surrounds Blaenau Ffestiniog.

The scale of the £45m investment has led to worries about noise and dust pollution.

The Alfred McAlpine company, which describes itself as the world's major producer of natural slate, wants to transport two million tonnes of crushed waste from its quarries in Blaenau Ffestiniog and Penrhyn in Bethesda.

It says the plan would create nearly 90 jobs in the area and safeguard 80 more.

My concern is about the dust and noise...I'm worried that out house prices will fall

John Elwyn Ellis, local resident

But John Elwyn Ellis, who lives in Rhiw close to where the slate waste would be moved from, has said no-one has consulted local residents about the proposals.

Speaking on BBC Wales' community radio station broadcasting in Blaenau on the Radio Cymru wavelength this week, he said: "My concern is about the dust and noise.

"I'm worried that out house prices will fall - nobody has been in touch with us. I feel that Rhiw has been flung to the top of the heap and no-one seems to be concerned about us."

Competitive

He added that slate heaps had been removed from the area around Rhiw with European funding some years ago, making the area a much nicer place to live in.

He said the new proposals would undo all the work done to improve the area.

The company plan to cart away the slate waste by train, which would also mean improvements to the Conwy Valley rail line.

Slate waste has become a competitive product due to a new tax on traditional building materials such as sand and gravel.

McAlpine's Ffestiniog quarry would use the Conwy Valley rail line, which would be upgraded at a cost of £17.5m.

The private sector is willing to invest more than £10m. It is hoped that grants from the Welsh assembly and European Union will meet the rest of the cost.

Timetables

A recent report by consultants estimated that 48 full-time jobs could be created when one million tonnes of crushed slate is produced.

That figure would rise to 88 jobs coming when the capacity doubles.

In addition, it would help to protect another 81 existing jobs in the quarries.

However, the report said that £10m in public funding would be needed to ensure the go-ahead. A potential source of this would be Objective One money from Europe.

The report warned, however, that it could be a problem to match the timetables of freight trains with those of passenger trains.

Gwynedd Council has already approved the development.

But Conwy Council has deferred their decision.

They want to wait for the results of a review of the effect the scheme would have on the environment.