Protesters attempt to stop lorries accessing quarry site
PROTESTERS gathered outside a quarry in Rhondda Cynon Taf last week in their fight against a controversial decision to allow it to expand.
The group of about 50 residents were attempting to stop lorries accessing the Craig-yr-Hesg Quarry, in Glyncoch, near Pontypridd, which was given permission to expand in 2022.
Police said they were on the scene just after 7am and protesters were seen standing and sitting across the road holding handmade banners with slogans like “Life over profit” and “Save nature”.
The quarry was supposed to cease all operations in 2022 but owners Heidelberg Materials applied to extend the site for another six years.
The application was rejected by Rhondda Cynon Taf council after hundreds of objections cited the impact of blasting on residents’ health and wellbeing.
The company appealed the decision to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (Pedw) inspectors and Welsh Government ministers signed off on the controversial proposals in October 2022.
Last year, residents living near the quarry spoke about their fears over its impact on their homes and health.
Residents say they are worried about the effects of silica dust and the site’s proximity to houses and public amenities like schools.
They also believe it could disrupt wildlife and cause traffic issues, as well as impacting public rights of way.
Dr Andrew Thomas, a university lecturer in Cardiff, said the Welsh Government’s decision to permit the expansion after RCT council rejected the plans was “scandalous”, adding it would leave the site within touching distance of residents’ gardens in Glyncoch.
“It’s been contained behind the mountain but the big controversy here is that this new land was used as a public right of way,” he said.
“So you have a working-class community which is about 2,000 people who are literally 100m from the site, the legal distance from a quarry in the UK.
“There is a primary school which is 200m away too. This is encroaching into their back garden.”
Heidelberg Materials UK said residents’ concerns regarding the 10-million-tonne extension to Craig-yrHesg “were not substantiated by the technical evidence put forward” and inspectors concluded the proposals “would comply with the development plan and relevant Welsh planning policy”.
It said the inspector ruled the decision was in accordance with the Well Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and that Julie James, then Minister for Climate Change, agreed with this.
Regarding health concerns, the company said its sector was “highly regulated, and we work hard to minimise any potential impacts from our operations on our neighbours”.
It said all amenity and environmental issues raised were thoroughly examined by the Pedw inspector and that “strict conditions on the control of vibration from blasting and ongoing air quality monitoring in Glyncoch to be carried out independently by the local authority” were in place.
In response to the protest, Heidelberg Materials UK regional director Joe Bagnall said: “We respect people’s right to peaceful protest, but our obligation is to keep those working on site and members of the community safe. This is why we have put up a fence around the extension area at Craigyr-Hesg Quarry now that work is under way.
“We also expect to be able to continue with our business, supplying materials to the construction sector across Wales and are mindful that other road-users will have been impacted by today’s protest as well. We are liaising with the police and trust that they will deal with the situation appropriately.
“It’s important to remember that approval for this extension was granted by the Minister for Climate Change after all aspects of the quarry’s extension, including any health impacts, were accessed in detail by an independent inspector.
“There have never been any public rights of access over the quarry extension area. However, our plans include the creation of a permissive path over land to the north of the extension area. This will allow pedestrian access from Glyncoch to the Lan Woods to the west, as we understand that it has been used informally in the past.
“We are proud of the role we play providing direct employment, supporting additional jobs in the supply chain, and contributing to local services via business rates and other taxes.
“Last year we submitted a scheme for engagement with the local community to the local authority and remain committed to this.
“We hope that we will be able to establish constructive dialogue with members of the local community soon, so that the more positive benefits of this development can be explained.”
A spokeswoman for South Wales Police said they were called at just before 7.05am after reports of a “spontaneous protest” outside the quarry.
She added: “Officers are at the scene in order to balance the rights of the protesters against minimising the impact of disruption to business at the quarry and within the local community.”