The coal tips have become part of the landscape

A series of information sessions on the proposal to extract coal from the disused Ffos-Y-Fran site in Merthyr Tydfil are being set up for local people.

It is part of a public consultation exercise being carried out by Merthyr Council who are considering the application.

But it is unlikely to convince protesters who fear that open cast mining would have detrimental effect on the town.

Developers, The Miller Argent consortium, want to extract the coal to sell to Aberthaw Power Station over a 15-year period.

They are said to have promised to pay more than �6m in royalties to the local council to be spent on public schemes.

If the scheme gets the go-ahead, more than 10 million tonnes of coal will be moved from the site.

People living here do not want this open cast mine reopened Canon Steve Morgan, Merthyr Tydfil Anti-Opencast Alliance

But people living near the site say the information sessions are unlikely to change their minds about the development.

Fears about the effect on health, the devaluation of houses and the impact it will have on inward investment to the town have been raised by people opposed to the scheme.

Canon Steve Morgan, the Rural Dean of Merthyr is chair of the Merthyr Tydfil Anti-Opencast Alliance which set up in protest to the proposals.

"It is fair to say that people living here do not want this open cast mine reopened," he said.

"If it goes ahead, there are worries about a rise in asthma cases because of the dust it would produce.

"There are fears about the devaluation of property and about subsidence in the nearby homes from the blasting that would be taking place.

"It would have a massive impact on the town - inward investment would not be attracted here which means no well paid jobs and that leads to people leaving the area to find better wages.

"Merthyr would become a ghost town.

"There is a tremendous amount of anger about these proposals," he added.

Informed decision

Alistair Neil, the chief executive of the council said: "We are trying to engage in a public consultation on a range of issues, one of these being the Ffos-Y-Fran land reclamation proposal.

"This thorough consultation process attempts to set out the facts involved so that our customers can make an informed decision," he added.

Information sessions into the schemes will be held between 1800 - 2000 GMT at:

• Treharris Community Centre on 3 November

• Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Community Centre on 4 November

• Dowlais Community Centre on 6 November

• Rhydycar Leisure Centre on 7 November