Nant Llesg mine development rejected by council

Miller Argent’s plans to develop a new opencast coal mine in Wales has been rejected by the local council’s planning committee. The mine would have extracted 6 million t at Nant Llesg, near Merthyr Tytfil in South Wales, creating up to 239 jobs in the economically-deprived area, according to the company.

“We are hugely disappointed that the Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee decided today to go against the advice of their professional officers and refuse the application for the Nant Llesg surface mine,” Millar Argent said in a statement. “This project would have brought […] highly paid jobs and considerable inward investment to the Rhymney Valley, as well as millions of pounds worth of additional benefits to the local community.”

“We will now assess the implications of this decision and consider the options available to us,” the company concluded, which may include suing the council to recover costs.

Miller Argent already operates the UK’s largest opencast mine at Ffos-y-Fran, where the company is planning to extract up to 11 million t and restore 910 acres of land.

Written by Jonathan Rowland.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/07082015/nant-llag-mine-development-rejected-by-council-2696/