HRA PROMISES ‘ROBUST’ RESPONSE TO WELSH GOVERNMENT COAL POLICY

The Heritage Railway Association has pledged to issue a “robust” response to the Welsh Government’s new coal policy.

The draft Coal Policy for Wales, which is currently under consultation, “is part of the Welsh Government’s decisive shift away from the use of fossil fuels in order to tackle the climate emergency” and aims to “avoid the continued extraction and consumption of fossil fuels.” The consultation document also says: “Coal also contributes to other sectoral emissions… such as heritage railways. While not as significant as the power sector, these too are subject to the same emission reduction requirements as energy generation.”

Adoption of this policy would mean that proposals for any new mines would only be considered if they could “demonstrate why they are needed in the context of climate change emission reductions targets.”

“As you would expect, the HRA’s response will be robust” said HRA CEO Steve Oates. “As well as stating the economic impact on a significant sector of the Welsh visitor economy, we will set out that coal will still need to be used in Wales and elsewhere; with no indigenous coal, imports will make life harder both environmentally and commercially, while time and funding are required to both establish secure and consistent imported supplies and assist with the development of alternative fuel. The impact of Covid-19 makes these points all the more relevant.”

In response to questions put to the Welsh Government’s Minister for Environment, Energy & Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths MS, by Steam Railway about the potential adverse impact of this policy on Britain’s and Wales’ heritage railways, a government spokesperson said: “The Welsh Government has long been supportive of our heritage railways and understands the economic value of these important cultural and heritage assets. We recognise the value of the railways as visitor experiences in their own right.

“Any active mines will continue to operate in accordance with their planning consent, Coal Authority licences and environmental permits; Ffos-y-Fran has a licence to extract coal until 2097. It is entirely possible for heritage railways to continue to source their coal via the usual commercial arrangements.

“There is no proposed ban on coal extraction in Wales. While the use of coal for energy generation should not be permitted, if planning applications come forward for industrial uses for coal, then each case would need to be considered individually.”

The government spokesman also confirmed that, under its Clean Air Plan for Wales, it would be following DEFRA’s lead by banning the sale of smoky bituminous coal for domestic use (SR503), but that “there are currently no plans to prevent the use of other types of coal such as steam coal or anthracite.”

●● The Welsh Government’s Coal Policy for Wales is open for consultation until September 23. To submit a response, visit https://bit.ly/2R3jSmZ The final policy is expected to be published later this year.