Wales’ last opencast coal mine plans turned down
Councillors have rejected plans for further coal mining at Glan Lash opencast mine in Carmarthenshire
Carmarthenshire councillors have rejected plans for further coal mining at Glan Lash opencast mine in Carmarthenshire.
Around 50 local people and campaigners, who had gathered on the steps of the Carmarthenshire County Hall ahead of today’s planning meeting to oppose the mine, celebrated the decision.
Earlier this year councillors in Merthyr voted unanimously to stop mining at Ffos y Fran, Wales’ other open cast coal mine, with mining now due to end there in November.
The decision to stop further coal extraction at Glan Lash is another sign that the days of opencast mining in Wales is coming to an end.
Carmarthenshire councillors followed the advice of council officials to refuse permission for an extension to the mine on environmental grounds to protect the ecology and wildlife of the surrounding area, especially the Caeau Mynydd Mawr Special Area of Conservation.
Haf Elgar, director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said: "Today Carmarthenshire councillors made the historic decision to put nature and climate first - and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude."
"By saying no to more coal at Glan Lash, the last opencast mine in Wales, we can finally see an end to open cast mining in Wales – for good."
Campaigners were also concerned about the potential climate impacts of the proposal, with the County Council receiving over 800 objections from people living in the area.
If it had been approved, up to 95,000 tonnes more coal could have been extracted from the mine.
Magnus Gallie, a planning specialist at Friends of the Earth, said: "We thank Carmarthenshire councillors for following the advice and turning down this application to mine more coal at Glan Lash in Carmarthenshire."
"We are in a nature as well as a climate emergency. As the ecologist’s report makes clear, digging up this coal would have been a serious threat to wildlife and biodiversity."