Opencast protesters want 'buffer'

Developers say the project will create hundreds of jobs

South Wales protesters angry at the development of one of the largest opencast mines in Europe have taken their case to Downing Street.

Plans to extract 10m tonnes of coal from the Ffos-y-Fran site in Merthyr Tydfil were approved by a Welsh assembly committee in February.

Campaigners are worried it is too close to homes and want a buffer zone rule similar to Scotland's introduced.

In Scotland a gap of 500m must exist between a mine face and houses.

An amendment is being proposed by the Scottish Executive which would change that to 500m between the site boundary and houses.

The boundary of the Ffos-y-Fran site - where 20,000 tonnes of coal will be extracted each week for the next 17 years - is less than 40m away from some of the protesters' homes.

Safeguards

Despite assurances from the developers, residents have claimed the work could affect their health.

Opposition parties at the assembly have asked for a law to be passed at Westminster to impose a buffer zone but the Welsh Assembly Government has said it already had the power to take such action.

Residents near the area are concerned about disruption

On Wednesday, up to 50 campaigners travelled to Downing Street to urge Tony Blair to put pressure on Wales to implement similar safeguards to Scotland.

Plans to develop a 1,000-acre stretch of derelict land in Merthyr for opencast mining were approved in February. Work could begin by the end of the year.

An assembly government spokesperson said: "The decision was taken by the (assembly's) cross-party planning decision committee after a full public inquiry, with a detailed report from a planning inspector.

"The inquiry considered all aspects of the development, including the effect on public health and amenity (noise and dust), and concluded that there were sufficient safeguards so that a buffer zone was not required."

Developers Miller Argent (South Wales) Ltd said 200 jobs would be created directly and derelict and unsafe land would be transformed.

'Economic benefits'

A planning inspector said while local people's concerns about potential health impacts were genuine and sincerely held, they were not supported by factual evidence.

Air quality, he added, would still be well within accepted standards.

Labour-controlled Merthyr Tydfil council welcomed the decision, and said the developers would have to agree to "numerous planning conditions".

The company would also have to provide a £15m financial guarantee to ensure complete restoration and aftercare of the site.

"The Ffos-y-Fran scheme represents a significant opportunity to reclaim derelict land at no financial cost to the council tax-payer, and will provide major economic benefits," the council said.

The authority estimated the scheme could be worth £55m to the local economy.

Conservative AM William Graham said: "There's no reason that the affected residents shouldn't have had their homes purchased or compensation given. At the absolute minimum, a zone should be introduced."

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: "The council may think the benefits of this scheme outweigh the negatives, but I and many other residents of Merthyr are not convinced."

Plaid Cymru AM Jocelyn Davies said: "The protestors pleas have not been heard by the Labour Assembly Government and it is understandable that they take their fight on to London, and possibly they may consider Brussels in the future."