Ffos y Fran coal mine - hope on the horizon

The company that owns Ffos y Fran, an opencast coal mine near Merthyr, wants to keep mining coal until March 2024, but their application could be refused at a council meeting next Wednesday (26 April 2023).

The report from officials at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has advised councillors to reject their application to mine more coal, stating that '"no local or community benefits would be provided that clearly outweigh the disadvantages of the lasting environmental harm of the development."

They also advised that this additional extraction of coal would be contrary to Planning Policy Wales and Welsh policy on coal.

Rally

Councillors will decide whether or not to approve this application at the planning meeting at 5pm on 26th April 2023.

Join us outside the council Chambers (Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN) before the meeting at 4.30pm to send a strong message.

Our response

Reacting to the news, Haf Elgar, Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru, said:

"This has gone on for long enough and must be stopped now - for the sake of local residents suffering from the impacts of noise and air pollution, and for the sake of the planet," she said.

"We're in a climate emergency and coal is part of our heritage not our future. We urge councillors in Merthyr to follow their officers advice at their meeting next week and reject this application."