Merthyr Tydfil council refuses to answer coal mine questions

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

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.