Wales’ role in the UK’s coal production history was pivotal and at one point employed some quarter of a million men who extracted the coal that kept not only the UK economy afloat, but provided critical support for the Welsh mining towns and villages. Between 1947 and 1994, some 950 mines were closed by the UK government which deemed them an unnecessary expense. The miners' strike of 1984-85, did little to change the government’s course of action. Once-thriving mining areas were left decimated, hit by economic collapse that prevails to this day.

In 2007, as many communities continued to feel the ill-effects of the decades-previous mining closures, the Welsh Assembly granted planning approval for the Foss-y-Fran opencast mining project in Merthyr Tydfil. It became one of the largest opencast mining sites in Europe, with a promise of long-term regeneration for the area. Excavation company Miller Argent, now Merthyr South Wales Ltd, committed to putting £1 for every tonne of coal it extracted into local authority pockets which enabled much-needed investment in the surrounding communities. The funding was a welcome boon to a variety of educational, environmental, social and leisure projects, but locals have paid a steep price for the open-pit mine. 

The following years of waste, pollution, poor air quality, illness and constant disturbances meant that when developers later submitted in 2011 an application to extend the surface mine to Nant Llesg, thousands of people voiced their opposition. Nant Llesg, an ancient common which sits North of Fochriw and west of Rhymney, provides numerous habitats of biodiversity, along with rare flora and fauna. No number of jobs nor promises of economic regeneration could compensate for the reality of living in such close proximity to what would essentially be another toxic dumping ground. 

Wales’ role in the UK’s coal production history was pivotal and at one point employed some quarter of a million men who extracted the coal that kept not only the UK economy afloat, but provided critical support for the Welsh mining towns and villages. Between 1947 and 1994, some 950 mines were closed by the UK government which deemed them an unnecessary expense. The miners' strike of 1984-85, did little to change the government’s course of action. Once-thriving mining areas were left decimated, hit by economic collapse that prevails to this day.

In 2007, as many communities continued to feel the ill-effects of the decades-previous mining closures, the Welsh Assembly granted planning approval for the Foss-y-Fran opencast mining project in Merthyr Tydfil. It became one of the largest opencast mining sites in Europe, with a promise of long-term regeneration for the area. Excavation company Miller Argent, now Merthyr South Wales Ltd, committed to putting £1 for every tonne of coal it extracted into local authority pockets which enabled much-needed investment in the surrounding communities. The funding was a welcome boon to a variety of educational, environmental, social and leisure projects, but locals have paid a steep price for the open-pit mine. 

The following years of waste, pollution, poor air quality, illness and constant disturbances meant that when developers later submitted in 2011 an application to extend the surface mine to Nant Llesg, thousands of people voiced their opposition. Nant Llesg, an ancient common which sits North of Fochriw and west of Rhymney, provides numerous habitats of biodiversity, along with rare flora and fauna. No number of jobs nor promises of economic regeneration could compensate for the reality of living in such close proximity to what would essentially be another toxic dumping ground. 

I have lived in Rhymney for 53 years- I was on my way to Merthyr and I got stuck in the snow. No really my wife was from Rhymney. My daughter was born in this house - only 2 pounds something- I have caught bigger fish than that!

My first job was mining at 15 years. I enjoyed the latter years of mining because it got easier and the money got better. It was very hard work. The thing I enjoyed most about the job was the cameraderie, the friendship. Everybody had to rely on each other

Those weren’t the good ol’ days. We didn't have nothing- my father had to finish work when he was 38 years - my mother worked in the steel works and had an accident. So we came from not rich but comfortable -to nothing. On social security - I mean I cant say I went without, but you know your parents would go without for their kids. A lot of families were in the same boat as us- there wasn’t much money about. 

I felt terrible when the mines closed because where was everyone going to get their money from- I was to old then to get another job. I could've gone further afield to another pit but I’m not one for travelling - never even been abroad, never owned a passport.

The Opencast is a good thing, for work. we did have dust on the windows, They wash the lorries when they come out. We used to get 200 pound a year for the fishing club. They built us that centre and an artificial rugby field in Dowlais. They done all the town hall up in Merthyr so you know fair play to them.Jobs are so important in the area because there is nothing here, no work- its a very deprived area. It’s wrong. My grandson is working on the scarfolding, he is on zero hours.

I feel sorry for the fellas who are going to lose their jobs

I dont know if I told you or not but they are treating the working classes very good. Terrible. Boris Johnson resigned from the cabinet and he is still in that house- renting it for 6000 pound a month- he has free rent and light and everything. Do you reckon thats right? And they call the people up around here scroungers. I am not disputing there aren’t, it’s not everybody you know but if you want to rob a bank- buy one!

I knew every part of our farm; it was a wilderness with no road through the valley. It is unique, in that sense. As a kid, I ran through the reeds with the little dog. It was where we were brought up with all our memories. My Uncle and cousins lived there too. We were all in a community. It was everything, and my soul is still up there!

Foss-y-Fran open cast was all common land. Just mountain, you see. To get control over the common on Nant LLesg they had to buy up the ground to have the common land rights attached to the farms. Either they had to compensate the farmers, or they had to buy extra grazing to provide for the animals.

Our trusted solicitor who had advised our family for many years, said to my mother "You need to sign this for the deal to go ahead." And my mother said to him because she really trusted him "Am I doing the right thing by signing this? I don't want a cheque; I want to keep the children's future (meaning my brother and myself). He said, "Look; if you don't sign this, they will take it compulsory purchase". We found out later they couldn't have done this and that our solicitor would have known this. They can only take compulsorypurchase land if it's used for roads. You cannot compulsory purchase land for an open cast. Anyway, the figure of money was accepted, and we kept 40 acres back, which was excluded from the sale of the farm. It was a large sum of money between the two families- but far less than what it was worth. The deal was that we could stay on the farm for the rest of our days.

Miller Argent wanted to put a power station on our 40 acres, and the power station was going to be an incinerator.
We didn't know about it and it came on the news one evening.
Merthyr Council and drawn up plans with them for this "power plant" on our ground and we hadn't even been notified. of course we objected to this and the next thing we hear they are terminating my lease and giving me a week to get out of the farm. They also gave me a week to get a sale for my sheep that were on the land. I had 1100 sheep, and I was forced to sell every one of them.

AFTER THAT I went to the commoners meeting where they were applying to open cast, and I objected because Iknew that if there was an objection from any of the Commoners, then they couldn't go ahead. I still had the 40 acres, which meant we still had commoners rights. All the people in that committee knew how Miller Argent hadtreated me. A lot of them were sympathetic, but some were not. There were 4 or 5 people up there classed as being more affected, and they were having individual payments of around 20 000 quid per year. It was like paying people off.

I would always have been against it, one of the reasons being the water table. There are natural springs all around if you walk that common. It is one of the most essential things on the common. In the previous open cast that was on the top of Dowlais where the Biffa rubbish landfill site is now – all the springs dried up. They had to supply thewater and had to put massive water pipes in, pumping systems from ponds and all. Parts of that mountain will dry up now due to the effect of the boreholes.

Then there is the dust. We brought lambs down the other day, and they were all black! And the noise, all you hear issirens and machines reversing beeping all the time with lights flashing. They'd have that in Rhymney too and Iwould pity them, trying to get to sleep in the night or day. The prevailing wind is north-westerly, but when it's deadwesterly, there has got to be dust going into Rhymney from Foss-y-Fran. The new mine would take every bit of dustdown into Rhymney and Pontlottyn.

Now that it's not going ahead it's a massive weight lifted, even though it doesn't affect me now.

Phil: Ex-coal miner and UVAG member: 2016

When I was growing up a working mens life was cut short from working underground. I was a coal miner for 16 years, I stopped when I was 32 because I had chest problems  from the mine. It wasn’t the dust you could see that was killing you it was the dust that you couldn’t see. That dust from the opencast is going straight into your lungs and our kids are breathing in that dust. I can take you out now and show you the dust on the window sill, the dust on the cars. 

What is that doing to our health? We can’t get any proper information on what it is doing to us. Prince Charles hospital one of the busiest hospitals in the area in Merthyr,  they are inundated with chest cases, you ask the people, you ask the doctors.  You’ve got high rates of asthma and eczsema but according to statistics we are no different to anywhere else. In the national press they try to blame it on lack of exercise, the diet or that kids start smoking when they are nine. Its never to with the industry. 

They shut the underground mines because they reasoned that coal was uneconomic and there was no need for it. Now all of sudden,  there is this coal extraction above ground. It’s the build up over the years and the effect of it is irreversible because it clogs up your lungs. It’s not just the dust that we are breathing, but also diesel fumes which is carcinogenic. The lorries are using reclaimed diesel which is far worse than original diesel. It’s the cheapest diesel and again there is no thought to the health of the community. 

What I am concerned about is the children. What does the future hold for them?  We are known as a sacrifice area but we have powered the world for long enough and we need proper jobs and proper infrastructure put here so that our people can get work. They are saying the next opencast will bring jobs. They are not going to give a job to you, over someone who has had 10 or 15 years experience on a machine. I would say in this community there are 10 at the most who are working at the existing opencast Foss-y-Fran.

Open cast rips the mountains out, and they don’t put nothing back. I can show you areas now where they have put the land back, its never the same, the animals can’t go there as it doesn’t sustain life, and it is devastating the community.

Another thing we have to remember is that there is no public access, we have been denied all the rights of way.

We can’t walk across Foss-y-Fran now. Where do the liabilities fall. We are going to be left with another massive hole.

That hole is worth a lot of money to the right people because of the landfill issue. We don’t want to see another landfill up here. We have had issues with the existing tip and with the seagulls- they are gorging on the rubbish and then defacating in the village. You don’t know what is in that tip, it’s hospital waste and other toxic stuff like that.

The Brexit vote was a vote against the government both the Welsh government and the British government. People wanted a change. They feel in these valleys that they’ve got nothing to lose.  You can taste the apathy here. If anyone is fiddling with there benefits they would take it away from them, yet these big companies are dodging tax and getting away with millions.  That’s why I don’t have time for politicians because we fought for the chest diseases and other things and basically they bankrupted us to stop us doing anymore, but when labour came into power everybody thought it would be easier. But they did exactly the same, and those men went to their death not knowing how much money they would have. When they died their claim was worth less than when they were alive.

I have lived in Rhymney for 29 years. I haven’t really seen any positive changes here in Rhymney over the years  - same old same old to me.  

I break in horses for a living, to cool my nerves and to help me stop thinking bad thoughts. A horse will respect you if you respect it.  If you be a fool with a horse, you are going to be on the wrong foot. A little bit of time and effort and you will get it back, it’s a win-win situation. 

The bond I have with some of the horses is indescribable it is difficult to put it in words but when you do it makes me smile- it makes me want to get up every day just to keep fighting on and keep going.  It makes me really happy.

I would rather have a crowd of horses than people.  I can talk and react with the horses better than with people. The horses help you in so many different ways.  The horses are like medication for me. I have a routine - I have my breakfast, I go and see Brenda, clean out for her, take her out to graze. Really the horses have saved me.

It’s a dying trade but it needs to be picked up again.  It’s easy enough to buy a horse, but it’s hard to care for them.  If you can do this you can do anything

The open cast coal mine would have been a good thing because it would have brought some more work in for the people in Rhymney.  The bad thing would have been they wouldn’t have thought about the wildlife and all the animals. I don’t know what  to think to tell you the truth. 

“Our family have lived here since the early 1700s. Ten of us living in a room 4m x 4m. We had great times up here.

 I was born here and I will die here.  I remember I could go up on the mountain with no worries in the world.  You had everything. I have walked it all my life.  All our commons were designated in 1922 for the benefit of the people.  It was given to people for access for walking, the right to enjoyment, but we can't access this common, Foss-y-Fran any more.  Merthyr Council struck the right of ways off the survey maps. The land was provided free for the people of Merthyr to use. The opencast stopped it.

The Skylark, the Curlew and the Lapwing were on that site, but since the Foss-y-Fran opencast, they are gone.

The three most highly protected birds in this country, and they wiped them out. The only reason they have lived in that area for centuries is because the water and the conditions are excellent.  You can't mimic those conditions somewhere else.

My love of ponies came from the Wyne fair.-the oldest known fair in Great Britain. The market was given to the people Merthyr by Royal Charter. I'm a plumber by trade, but I've raised ponies since I was a little boy. Welsh ponies are a part of my heritage.  Before the previous owners of the opencast Miller Argent came, I had always kept ponies on the common. 

I know every single pony. I don't have to count them. I remember The RSPCA, Redwings and the police were all in Miller Argent offices.  It was all organised from there. Miller Argent just took the ponies straight to Norfolk, and we couldn't get them back, with no compensation. That was the threat because I was objecting to the opencast. I had every right to stop the extension to the opencast.  It was on my doorstep.   

Merthyr Council and Miller Argent said this opencast was going to improve the area, but ever since it has been here, it's like a derelict area. All the years we have lived here, nobody ever fly-tipped up here like they do today.  Local authority gets a pound for every 10 of coal that comes out, so Merthyr Council receives around a million pounds a year, and they don't spend that money on this area. I've never had any compensation even though I live here.  Local residents have had nothing at all.  We have had to put up with the noise, the dust, the loss of clean water. They aren't allowed to do this in law, but they've done it.

The watercourse used to pass through my fields for the horses to drink. Miller Argent stopped the water coming through here from the time they started digging. I have had to carry water for the last 10 years to my ponies in the field.

I am 75 now, I shouldn't be doing that. 

The people of Rhymney and Fochriw did not really understand what was coming.  I have lived through this, the dust, the noise, the blasting, and they would have had to have put up with the same as I have.  To go up there to those black tips that exist now, whatever blows off those tips is dust.  We don't know the legacy of that. The noise from blasts in front of my house was horrific.  It would blow the doors shut in the bedroom.  The chap who owned the house next door, it knocked him off the ladder.

My wife hadn't been well for years, and they knew my wife was dying, but they couldn't care.  The whole place was shaking. It was distressing. We were flooded out several times. They did nothing to help us, nothing at all.

I am glad the extension is not going ahead-because it is safeguarding other people, the same way that I was never safeguarded. Think of the residents who have lived there, and their families, for many 100's of years.  Think of them first.  They are the people that should be dealt with fairly and honestly.  That is the way it should be.  Forget about jobs. 

Opencast has ruined my life. They blighted us, but they will never stop me, no matter what they try.  

My name is Dave Morris and I have lived in Rhymney most of my life. 

My grandfathers land was all taken by compulsory purchase for the previous opencast when I was 16. I worked my way up from a labourer until eventually I was taught how to drive a Euclid truck. The opencast slowly eroded the community, on one side of the community you had people who were experienced in being able to drive a crane whereas the shovel boys wouldn’t have had a chance of a job in the opencast. So it’s one fighting against the other. With the proposing of the extension of Foss-y-Fran, the feeling was that the people who were going to work there was going to come down from other areas, and not be people employed from the locality. What they would do is move experienced people into the area and say that they are local. The lads who had been here for so long wouldn’t have had a chance.

I was so adamant about objecting the extension coming here exactly because I had experienced previously what had happened – the whole valley was taken. It ruined the area. You couldn’t put clothes on the washing line, you couldn’t wade in the river – you would be black from coal dust. You couldn’t grow anything and the explosions were terrible. One was so bad that it broke all the windows down one street and they just left it as it was. 50 jobs they were guaranteeing - the ruination of an area for the sake of 50 jobs. It’s a case of money, they were offering incentives to different organisations in the area but it didn’t work this time. I saw what happened then and I swore that it would never happen again.

We are slowly having our identity taken away from us and there is nothing we can do about it. They are gradually eroding the people who are here and they’ve got houses with historical connections and they are giving these to social services and they moving people up to Rhymney that the council don’t want from areas like Bristol and Leeds. Drug addicts and ex-convicts are being placed in the houses and they wreck the inside.  I am 75 now, my days are gone and I am quite happy to sit back and relax but you can’t enjoy yourself when you have people like that living next door to you and you dare not go near them. I have no problem with new people coming into the town but not to the point where they are upsetting everybody elses life.