NATURE and climate have been put first by councillors in Carmarthenshire after plans to further mine coal at an Ammanford mine were turned down, said campaigners.

Carmarthenshire County Council discussed this morning – Thursday, September 14 – an application to extend work at the opencast coal mine at Glan Lash in Ammanford, which would have seen up to 95,000 tonnes more coal extracted from the mine.

Council officers had recommended the plans be refused on environmental grounds to protect the delicate ecology and precious wildlife of the surrounding area including the Caeau Mynydd Mawr Special Area of Conservation.

More than 800 objections were received by the council and around 50 local residents and environmental campaigners braved the rain to demonstrate at the council’s offices at County Hall this morning, where Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee refused the plan for an extension to the mine.

South Wales Guardian: Around 50 people turned up to County Hall for the decision.Around 50 people turned up to County Hall for the decision. (Image: Friends of the Earth)

Friends of the Earth celebrated the decision, which following Merthyr councillors voting to stop mining at Ffos y Fran, the other opencast coal mine in Wales, signals an end to opencast mining in the nation.

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.

“Coal is a part of our heritage, not our future. We must focus instead on cleaner greener energy and creating sustainable green jobs in Carmarthenshire and across Wales.”

South Wales Guardian: Protestors were concerned about the impact on the special area of conservation, wildlife and the climate.Protestors were concerned about the impact on the special area of conservation, wildlife and the climate. (Image: Friends of the Earth)

Magnus Gallie, 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 in Carmarthenshire.

“Coal extraction is damaging, even if it’s not being burned, because it releases harmful methane and adds to global coal supplies – lowering prices and attracting more demand.

“This proposal went against Welsh Government policy, which prohibits the licensing and permitting of new coal mines, except in ‘wholly exceptional circumstances.’ As alternatives to coal-use in water filtration are readily available, the application failed to meet these strict policy requirements.

“Councillors made the right decision today, sending out a strong message that Wales is a globally responsible nation.”