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Protest over opencast mine plans outside Caerphilly council Opencast mine plans rejected by Caerphilly councillors
(35 minutes later)
Campaigners opposed to plans for a new opencast mine in the Rhymney valley are holding a protest outside a Caerphilly council meeting. Plans for a new opencast mine in the Rhymney valley have been rejected by Caerphilly councillors.
A proposal by mining company Miller Argent to open Nant Llesg mine is being discussed by councillors at Wednesday's meeting. A proposal by mining company Miller Argent to open Nant Llesg mine was refused at a meeting on Wednesday.
The firm says the surface coal mine would provide up to 239 full-time jobs and lead to a £13m annual investment. The firm had said the surface coal mine would provide up to 239 full-time jobs and lead to a £13m annual investment.
The protest by Friends of the Earth is taking place as the meeting is held. A protest by Friends of the Earth in opposition to the plans was held outside the meeting.
Councillors unanimously decided in June to defer a decision on the opencast mine to allow time for officers to explore grounds for refusal.Councillors unanimously decided in June to defer a decision on the opencast mine to allow time for officers to explore grounds for refusal.
Friends of the Earth has written to the councillors urging them to reject the Nant Llesg mine on grounds of visual impact, local ecology and climate change. Friends of the Earth had written to councillors urging them to reject the Nant Llesg mine on grounds of visual impact, local ecology and climate change.
Campaigner Naomi Luhde-Thompson said: "Independent legal advice makes it clear that there are solid grounds for saying no to this highly controversial project.
"The Nant Llesg opencast coal mine would have a hugely negative visual impact, damage the local environment and contribute to climate change - councillors must reject it."