Around 800 people are set to gather near a controversial opencast coal mine this weekend for off-road motorbike races. The event near Ffos-y-Fran mine in Merthyr Tydfil has sparked excitement on social media as well as noise concerns from neighbours.
Planning permission for coal extraction at Ffos-y-Fran expired last year but the operator, Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd, applied for an extension. Although Merthyr Tydfil councillors refused the application for environmental reasons, the company continued mining — much to the anger of anti-coal campaigners. The council has issued an enforcement notice that means coaling must stop from June 27.
The 'Monster Mountain' motocross event will take place on Saturday and Sunday atop a huge mound of land which was removed from the mine site years ago so coal could be extracted. In a promotional video one of those involved in the project, Alfie Smith, said: "There's a coal mine probably a mile that way where all of this hill has been brought from, and it's been tipped here. We're on the top of it, so we're probably on the only flat bit of Wales, where we've managed to build a motocross track."
