Sunday 6 January 2008

THE ‘GREED WEDGE’


NEW APPLICATION FOR MARGAM OPENCAST


“So what if we’ve applied again

To opencast your valley.

Don’t moan and groan and make a fuss

It’s really rather silly.


We’ve been so kind this time you see

We’ve saved the river and wood,

We’ll dig each side of the ancient trees

We really are so good.


The badgers, otters, bats, mice, hares

Can be re-homed you know,

To say we should restore and move

Is really rather low!


Across the river we’ll build a bridge

So lorries can move to and fro.

We understand that you need your walks

So we’ll build a subway below.


What! You don’t want to walk where noise, fumes and dust

And diggers will encroach and impact,

You don’t want to hear the machinery noise

Or feel the explosives blast!?


You’d rather have your countryside walk

With birdsong and leafy green trees,

Lush pasture fields with wildlife and flowers

And fresh air and sweet smelling breeze!?


Well you can’t have it all, it’s big business ,--so there!

We need this fine coal to exist,

It’s all singing and dancing and can’t be replaced

Do you want us to add to our list.


So don’t write your letters to object to our plans

You really won’t win, so don’t fret”

“We’ll see ,we’re not beaten-just watch us fight

The battle is not over yet!”


Your sincere promises you’ve never kept.

You’ve ruined our lives for your coal,

For more loss and destruction with no restoration

Is your ultimate aim and your goal.


The company’s breached no set levels we’re told

But the monitors we do not trust.

We know the effects on our health and our homes

From the fumes, and the noise and the dust!


Until people come first we will still be abused

Look after the residents, not coal!

We need stronger measures to protect our health

And we’ll still face a lousy, black hole!!


The powers that be, we hope will be just

And see that the revised new plan

Is too close to housing and countryside features

Not allowed in the new coal M’tan.


Stop now with your opencast , give us some peace

Let us enjoy our homes and our rights,

Stay out of our valley, leave our wildlife alone

Let us enjoy our countryside sights.


Let us keep our good footpaths, our lanes and our views

Our green fields where hares often lie,

For our human species cannot be moved

And the cost of your coal is too high!!!”


G.M.B.
G.BALL
Sign the petition and write to the councils.
Addresses below.
Mr Neville Morgan /Mr Geoff White
Planning ServicesNeath/Port Talbot County Borough Council
Civic Centre,
Neath,SA113QZ
Planning Application Number
Neath/Port Talbot 2007/0663
Mr. Tony Gore /Mr Martin Hooker,
Planning Department,
Bridgend County Borough Council,
Angel Street,Bridgend,CF31 4WB
Planning Application Number
Bridgend Reference P/07/569/MIN/AG:
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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.

About Me

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)