BLAENAU Gwent’s AM is backing a uniform response by a working group to oppose the current Torfaen mining application at Tir Pentwys Cut.

The application for extracting rock aggregates and a reclamation of the site, submitted by Peakman Limited, is due to come before Torfaen council, although it has been been deferred from November until December.

Alun Davies AM is wary of the environmental impact and has put in his objections to Torfaen County Borough Council whilst calling for as many people as possible to do the same.

With a believed risk that the application ‘can go through the back door’, Mr Davies met with representatives from Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent residents' associations at the site known as The Cut at Tir Pentwys, Hafodrynys, yesterday.

He said: “It slips through many of the policy nets as a secondary excavation

whilst being classed as a brownfield site. But we don’t want to see another 50 years of industrial work in these parts.

“For too long we in the valleys have been told we can have either job security or a beautiful landscape, however in the 21st century, I don’t think it’s too much to ask to expect both.”

The planning application for extraction, which is on the Torfaen border with both Caerphilly County and Blaenau Gwent, has been ongoing since 2003 and residents are hoping they can take it of the county borough council’s local development plan in March.

Caerphilly council have objected whilst Blaenau Gwent put in a comment over the proposals last week.

Objections include ruining a beautiful green space used by local residents, an increase of lorries and industrial vehicles on already heavily overly used and polluted road network, including the A472 at Crumlin, Caerphilly, which is the most polluted road in Britain outside of London.

Lyn Maloney, of Llanhilleth Residents Association, said: “I objected to the original plan but a lot of people will be against this but not realise that they need to put in a new objection. It’s also not as easy as getting a petition, because as we have seen with the objections to the development in Six Bells, that will be counted as one.

“We as a group will now act together as one and are to organise ourselves against this proposal. We will be campaigning all the way.”

Natural Resource Wales and the Gwent Wildlife Trust have also put in objections to the application, which would lead to 12 new jobs.

Natalie Sawkins, of Oxford Place, Llanhilleth, said: “It will devastate a natural beauty spot and we will all be affected. I live quite close to it and it will be a real shame if our fears come true and this goes through.”