Council refuses grilling on mine controversy role

An inquiry into the controversy surrounding the UK's largest opencast coalmine will not hear from the company or council involved.

Merthyr Tydfil council refused a request to appear before Members of the Senedd on the climate change committee while the mining firm behind Ffos-y-Fran did not reply.

Committee chairman Llyr Gruffydd said it was "hugely disappointing" as there were "big questions to be asked" of both.

The council has submitted written evidence to the committee. BBC Wales has asked the mining firm to comment about its absence from the hearing.

In recent weeks, residents have raised the alarm over rising water levels at Ffos-y-Fran and are worried it will not be fully restored as promised.

The giant surface mine, granted permission by the Welsh government in 2005, was officially classed as a "land reclamation scheme".

That meant the site - the size of 400 football pitches and 656ft (200m) deep in places - was to be turned back to green hillside for the community's benefit after the coal was dug out.

Mining stopped in November 2023, more than a year after the deadline stipulated on planning permission, with 115 staff made redundant.

The company in charge - Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd - has warned of "insufficient funds" to carry out the original restoration plan.

£15m had been paid into an account held by the council as a back-up in case the company went bust, but estimated clean up costs are between £120m and £175m.

The Senedd's climate change committee invited the firm, the council, UK Coal Authority and environmental campaigners to take part in a "short inquiry".

Writing in response, Merthyr Tydfil council said its officers' ability to contribute evidence was "limited".

Staff who had dealt with the original planning applications, legal and financial arrangements for the Ffos-y-Fran scheme had long left the authority, it said.

Despite overseeing the UK's largest opencast mine, the council also explained it had no specialist minerals planning officers.

"Like many other authorities, (Merthyr Tydfil council) has a service level agreement with Carmarthenshire County Council to carry out minerals planning work, hence the reason it was suggested the committee may wish to invite them to give evidence," a spokeswoman explained in a statement.

"Minerals planning is a specialised area that very few local authorities in Wales have planners qualified in. Carmarthenshire County Council have a ‘minerals team’ of suitably qualified and experienced staff," she added.

Carmarthenshire council has accepted the committee's invitation and will contribute to a session in May, when MSs will also hear from people living near the site.

"It's strange that Carmarthenshire feel they can come along and give evidence and Merthyr can't," Plaid Cymru's Mr Gruffydd said.

"At the end of the day they are the accountable body and they should stand up and tell us what they think."

He said the committee had "not even had a response from the operators of the site which is hugely disappointing and discourteous".

Merthyr Tydfil council's paper also elaborated a little on the revised restoration proposal being considered by the mining firm.

The biggest cost in the original plan was moving the mountains of waste earth that had piled up as coal was extracted over the years back into the giant pit.

"Such costs could be reduced by partially infilling the void, reshaping the overburdens and could include part of the void being retained as a water feature," the council said.

The UK Coal Authority - whose chief executive criticised Merthyr council's grip on the situation in a leaked letter to the Welsh government last year - will appear in front of the committee on Wednesday.

Campaigners from the Coal Action Network (CAN), Friends of the Earth Cymru, Extinction Rebellion and Climate Cymru groups will also take part.

In its paper, CAN argued the Welsh government had a "historic responsibility" to step in and take control, given that it originally approved the scheme, and deliver the restoration plan promised in 2007.

"Anything less would amount to a betrayal after 16 years of suffering air and noise pollution from the mine," it said.

The committee's work on the issue will ultimately lead to a report with recommendations for the Welsh government and public authorities involved.

The Welsh government said it was closely monitoring the situation at Ffos-y-Fran and had been "clear that the safeguarding of the site is our main objective and that we expect to see a full restoration in line with planning permission".

Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd has said discussions are ongoing with the local council and other stakeholders over a revised restoration plan. A planning application is expected in the autumn.

The firm told BBC Wales formal agreement had been reached on an "interim" programme of works which was due to start "within a matter of weeks".