Last September, Alyson Austin had a bottle of Champagne in the fridge, ready to celebrate the news that mining at Ffos-y-Fran - the largest opencast coal mine in the UK - would cease after 15 years. Many residents had long awaited the day when mining would stop at the Merthyr Tydfil site, having battled for years over the noise, dust and pollution they say had marred their lives.
But when plans to extend activities for another nine months were lodged with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council as the clock ran down, Alyson admitted she cried at the prospect of locals mounting another fight in the long battle since mining was given permission in 2006.
This week, however, there was new hope. On Wednesday April 26, the council refused the extension to keep the mine open until March 2024, saying it did not fit with Welsh Government policies on tackling climate change. Production at the mine must now stop after 16 years, leaving many residents quite literally popping prosecco in celebration.
