Secure the full promised restoration of Park Slip Margam Opencast Coal Site.

I heard yesterday, the 18th May 2016, that the welsh government will not call in the alternative non restoration plans and leave the decision with the local authorities. In effect this means that the theft of 4 million tonnes of coal and damage to the cost of £56 million has been sanctioned by the welsh government. Nothing has been done to make the company comply with planning conditions since the mid 1980s which have required the full restoration in the true sense of the word, of the land opencast between Law Street and Bedford Road. I have tried to send an email from this site, hopefully you will get it soon. Thank you for all your support. Jan Adamson

Both NPT and Bridgend planning committees met this week and subject to the Holding Directive from the Welsh government consented to the Alternative Plans. The only hope we have for getting any restoration of this site now rests with the Welsh government. If it does not call the plans in and take on the responsibility for securing the full restoration we all want then we will be stuck with an horrendously un restored site which is full of tips and the useless, dangerous, flooded hole. 'Moonscaped', was the term used by the Bridgend chairperson of the Planning Committee who thought she was making a joke by saying that it could be a set for Dr Who - which actually has filmed there. Going amongst those barren tips and seeing the site close up was actually even more depressing than the normal distant view of it.

NPT CBC planning committee will undertake a site visit on Tuesday 3rd April, arriving at site after 10.30 am followed by a meeting at 2pm in the theatre adjacent to the Civic Offices in Port Talbot to make a decision. Bridgend planning committee will go on a site visit at 10.30 am on Wednesday 4th April and meet at 2pm in the afternoon in the Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend to make it's decision. Both planners reports recommend acceptance of the alternative plans.

We had some good news yesterday evening, the Welsh Government has put a Holding Decision notice on the Local Authorities because there is a Call In request in place. This means that though the planning committees can make a decision next week, the decisions can't be acted on until the Welsh Government decides whether or not to call the plans in.The petition was handed in to a Welsh Government representative, Mr Peter Greening on Tuesday 26th April, together with a petition of 871 signatures which had circulated the locality also requesting the Welsh Government to secure the restoration as promised and as detailed in the April 2013 LA commissioned Restoration Scheme. Further copies were delivered to the First Minister's office and to Bridgend Planning department as they are evidence of the objection to the alternative restoration plans and of the need for the Welsh government to take on the responsibility for securing the restoration.

This petition is to be handed in to a member of the Cabinet Office on the steps of the Assembly Building the Senedd, at 11.30 am on Tuesday the 26th April.
We are now at almost 400 signatures, please get your partners and friends to sign if they haven't already done so.

Many thanks to everyone who's signed this petition. Bethan Jenkins AM has signed - we now have three AMs who have signed and agree with our request - Peter Black AM and David Rees AM have also signed - thank you so much for your support.

NPT decided last September to limit the work on site to the £5.8 million in the escrow fund. Why? Is that a reasonable outcome given that the company signed legal agreements on several occasions to restore, finally as in the Restoration Plan without mine discard, March 2005, agreed to in S106 of 2006 and 2007. Who does the council represent? ~Eight years awaiting the promised restoration and now we are faced with a shabby, sham - a scam that restores nothing. It is high time that the government shouldered the responsibility - why else is there a government, let alone three governments?

I apologise for the fact that you cannot see who else has signed unless it is a recent signature. The petition to Bridgend and NPT CBCs objecting to the Alternative Restoration plans was run on a different site and you could read signatures and comments. It is less clear where to give reasons for signing on this site, thanks go to those who have managed to do so.

Thank you for supporting this petition. Special thanks go to David Rees AM and Peter Black AM, both of whom have signed this petition which shows the strength of feeling concerning the situation here.