Campaigners from Torfaen took part today in a demonstration on the steps of the National Assembly Senedd building
The demonstration was in support of a CROSS PARTY MOTION in the National Assembly, opened by our AM Lynne Neagle and was previewed by sympathetic articles and letters in the Western Mail and The Guardian. I read out a message from Lynne Neagle to the demonstration.
The motion was co-sponsored by Bethan Jenkins Plaid Cymru, Lynne Neagle Labour, William Graham Con. William Powell Lib Dem and carried by 30 votes to zero votes against but with 16 abstensions. You can read the full transcript of the debate or watch the video here (from about 2.20 pm that day) – see http://www.assembly.wales/en/bus-home/pages/rop.aspx?meetingid=3157&assembly=4&c=Record of Proceedings#211742
The motion read: The National Assembly for Wales calls upon the Welsh Government to:
a. Instigate a moratorium on opencast mining across Wales, in order to ascertain whether planning law and current guidance provides sufficient protection for communities affected by opencast mining;
b. Respond to the Research into the Failure to Restore Opencast Coal Sites in South Wales, stating specifically how it might address concerns about the workability of MTAN2 and the 500m buffer zone;
c. Support affected Local Authorities to make legal challenges where required, when pursing restoration.
Dr John Cox blogs 