Monday, September 19, 2005
NO FURTHER DRIFT TOWARDS OPENCAST
The Park Slip opencast mine has dominated the western end of the Bridgend constituency for nearly fifty years. Opencast has also been a feature of life in many other communities on the edge of the coalfield.There is no doubt that coal extraction is still needed in Wales, even as we move towards renewable and cleaner forms of energy. Indeed opencasting sustains many jobs, not just in the mines themselves, but in transport and distribution as well as fuelling Aberthaw Power Station, which relies on Welsh coal for its existence.The question I’d like to deal with though is whether there is a need to continue opencasting at Park Slip. The latest application for planning permission to opencast was some six years ago. Part of that application included permission for a new drift mine towards Margam, which would tap the seam underneath the area. It was suggested that this would be the last phase of opencast at the site before drift mining took over.Now we have another application for further opencasting with no end in sight. I don’t believe that this application is justified, and I cannot support it for many reasons.Firstly, the need for jobs is not as strong in Kenfig Hill and the surrounding area as it is in many other parts of Wales. The area has good transport links and has been successful in bringing in investment.Secondly the loss of amenity for local residents. The application involves churning up farmland for the opencast. Nobody is suggesting that this is some kind of land reclamation scheme or that the land will be improved when opencasting finishes. Some people have suggested the imposition of a buffer zone, and there is nothing to stop a local authority imposing a buffer zone, of any distance (not just 500m) as long as it can justify its position. It would be a mistake to concentrate on the buffer zone argument because that would suggest that it would be ok to have the opencast as long as there was a buffer zone. I don’t think that we should have the opencast at all given that there is an alternative.There are also questions about the loss of farmland and of ancient wood land which need to be resolved, as well as decisions over the protection of wildlife and habitats, all of which have to be taken into account.There is a simple answer to all this though, one that would protect residents from the effects of opencast as well as provide the coal that the company says is needed.They already have planning permission for a drift mine. They can sink that and get the coal that they need and provide jobs without upsetting local people. That’s the alternative, and that’s what the company should be pursuing.
23 March 05
Sunday 6 January 2008
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OUR STORY
We’ve had opencast mining in our community for almost 60 years. The most recent work started six years ago. In spring 2005, an application to extend the site by 51 hectares to the west was put forward by the mining company, Celtic Energy Ltd. This would have been through parts of ancient woodland and could have had an effect on biodiversity.The existing mine looks absolutely horrific. It’s a huge, black hole which looks like a moonscape. The mine is in the valley so you can see it from all directions - from the motorway to the sand dunes.It is also really close to the community. This means the noise and dust created can have a big impact, which makes our area a unique case.Strong public feeling
When Celtic Energy submitted the application there was a meeting in Bridgend. The public were allowed to attend but not to comment. That’s where I met other residents who were against the plan and together we set up PACT – Protecting and Conserving Together.The strength of public feeling against the mine is incredible. Now hundreds of people are involved, but it’s still down to a few of us to do all the organising. Unhealthy situationPACT approached the Cardiff Institute of Society of Health and Ethics to carry out a health impact assessment of the proposed extension on people living in the area. Their research came to the conclusion that the negative aspects of expansion would outweigh the positive. The report said; “The loss of amenity, visual impact, nuisance dust, noise and pollution are strong arguments against further open casting close to this community.”But health is not an issue that has to be taken into account in planning at the moment. This needs to change because, the way things are, councils can just pick and choose what they want to take out of something like a health impact assessment.
I don’t think there is a balance between industry and the needs of the people. Legislation on dust and noise is all geared up to help the industry. This means it doesn’t matter how much residents complain, because whenever noise or dust levels are measured they seem to be deemed OK. That’s why we’re calling for tighter legislation.Last month Celtic Energy withdrew their expansion plans. But we weren’t celebrating because that’s not the end of it. They have also put in an application for a time extension of another year for the existing site. No time extension has ever been refused.
When Celtic Energy submitted the application there was a meeting in Bridgend. The public were allowed to attend but not to comment. That’s where I met other residents who were against the plan and together we set up PACT – Protecting and Conserving Together.The strength of public feeling against the mine is incredible. Now hundreds of people are involved, but it’s still down to a few of us to do all the organising. Unhealthy situationPACT approached the Cardiff Institute of Society of Health and Ethics to carry out a health impact assessment of the proposed extension on people living in the area. Their research came to the conclusion that the negative aspects of expansion would outweigh the positive. The report said; “The loss of amenity, visual impact, nuisance dust, noise and pollution are strong arguments against further open casting close to this community.”But health is not an issue that has to be taken into account in planning at the moment. This needs to change because, the way things are, councils can just pick and choose what they want to take out of something like a health impact assessment.
I don’t think there is a balance between industry and the needs of the people. Legislation on dust and noise is all geared up to help the industry. This means it doesn’t matter how much residents complain, because whenever noise or dust levels are measured they seem to be deemed OK. That’s why we’re calling for tighter legislation.Last month Celtic Energy withdrew their expansion plans. But we weren’t celebrating because that’s not the end of it. They have also put in an application for a time extension of another year for the existing site. No time extension has ever been refused.
About Me
- KENFIGPACT
- The ‘Protecting and Conserving Together’ group (PACT) exists for the benefit and protection of the environment within the local area and is particularly concerned with preventing the expansion of opencast mining. PACT draws its membership mainly from the local communities representing truly local knowledge and concerns that are fundamental to the planning process. The group has many members and many more supporters representing a broad cross-section of society both locally and elsewhere. Its membership and supporters include MPs, AMs, clergy, environmentalists, professionals, economists, wildlife experts and scientists. The opencast impacts upon these three County Boroughs: Cefn Cribwr and Aberbaiden (Ogmore Constituency) Kenfig Hill and Pyle (Bridgend Constituency) Pen-Y-Bryn, Bryndu and Margam ( Margam, Neath/Port Talbot Constituency)
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