For the Attention of: Mr N Jones – Case Officer

Torfaen County Borough Council

[By Email:

15 December

Dear Mr Jones

PLANNING APPLICATION: 14/P/00637

Land reclamation & coal recovery scheme; Varteg Hill, Varteg, Pontypool

Thank you for your consultation notification of 28 November 2014 seeking the views of The Coal Authority on the above planning application.

The Coal Authority is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department of Energy and Climate Change. As a statutory consultee, The Coal Authority has a duty to respond to planning applications and development plans in order to protect the public and the environment in mining areas.

The Coal Authority Response: Material Consideration

As the owner of the coal, The Coal Authority encourages and supports this planning application, which is seeking to work coal in environmentally and socially acceptable ways to meet the market requirements.

This application will contribute to the Government’s policy framework for a diverse and secure energy supply and incorporates the principles of sustainable development. This policy objective was incorporated into the National Planning Policy Framework

Planning Policy Wales sets the most challenging standards for surface coal mining and The Coal Authority believes that the coal industry can successfully operate within these principles provided they are applied equitably by all MPAs. It is essential that the planning process takes account of the fundamental principle of minerals planning - that minerals can only be worked where they occur.

General Information for the MPA

The Coal Authority will process any subsequent application for an operating licence under Part II of the Coal Industry Act 1994 in accordance with its statutory duties. We expect that the applicant will seek to obtain such a licence in due course.

Specific Comments

There are coal mining legacy features and hazards in the vicinity of this proposed extension site. The Coal Authority is pleased to note that such issues have been afforded due consideration as part of the Environmental Statement submitted in support of this planning application.

Background Information on the Privatised Coal Industry in the UK

The role of surface mining is critical to the continued supply of good quality coal for the market in the UK. It should be remembered that coal currently provides the basis for up to half of the electricity generated in the UK. The Coal Authority believes that the coal supply in the UK should contain a significant proportion of indigenous production. The electricity generators made similar statements in their submissions to the Energy Review in 2006 which informed the current Energy White Paper published in 2007.

Coal supplied from the UK offers security against the volatility of international coal prices, freight rates, exchange rates and a reliance on port capacity. It should, therefore, be recognised that the importation of coal from many thousands of miles away has its own environmental footprint by way of increased transport related carbon and sulphur emissions. The ability of the industry to continue its significant contribution to the energy supply in the UK is dependent equally on success in an extremely competitive energy market place and success through a rigorous planning system. Site life varies typically between one and five years, and it is essential to ensure a regular supply of new/extended environmentally acceptable sites are brought forward to replace sites nearing completion and other exhausted sites.

There is no shortage of coal in the ground. The Coal Authority believes that the commercial industry can find sites that meet the strict criteria contained in PPW provided that the planning process is conducted fairly and professionally. PPW recognises that it is essential that unnecessary sterilisation of coal resources and reserves through permanent development should be avoided. In principle, it is desirable to secure prior extraction where development occurs above coal resources. The active recognition of this will allow the sustainable development of an important national resource in accordance with Government policy.

Surface mining frequently assists in the removal of surface dereliction but The Coal Authority believes that the local benefits of mining go well beyond the removal of this dereliction. Whilst the advantages of removing dereliction on the surface may be obvious, the benefits of treatment of surface and sub-surface contamination and instability may not be so well recognized or understood. In this proposal the removal of shallow old mine workings, shafts and adits with subsequent restoration may also provide a stable platform for future surface developments. Rather than divert investment away from an area, surface mining of coal has often created inward investment particularly in relation to improvements in transport infrastructure. Other local benefits include reduced hazard potential from mine gases and spontaneous combustion, improved water quality from treating minewater discharges and the recovery of minerals other than coal which helps to support the fireclay, building and brick clay industries.

I trust this is helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any additional information or would like to discuss this matter further.

Yours sincerely

Chris MacArthur

Chris MacArthurB.Sc. (Hons), DipTP, MRTPI
Planning Liaison Manager

Disclaimer

The above consultation response is provided by The Coal Authority as a Statutory Consultee and is based upon the latest available data and records held by The Coal Authority on the date of the response. The comments made are also based upon only the information provided to The Coal Authority by the Local Planning Authority and/or has been published on the Council's website for consultation purposes in relation to this specific planning application. The views and conclusions contained in this response may be subject to review and amendment by The Coal Authority if additional or new data/information (such as a revised Coal Mining Risk Assessment) is provided by the Local Planning Authority or the Applicant for consultation purposes.

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Protecting the public and the environment in coal mining areas