P-03-060 - A Heartfelt Petition to the Welsh Assembly

Petition received: 10 July 2007

Lead Petitioner: Vivienne Hadley

Number of Petitioners: 33

Petition Wording:

From the Constituents of Merthyr Tydfil

Declares that residents of Merthyr Tydfil are currently not afforded the protection of a 500 metre Buffer Zone between the working face of Opencast Mining and homes and schools, despite numerous petitions over the past two years numbering over 25,000 appealing for the inclusion in planning approvals of this buffer protection – no Authority has taken the welfare of the people as a priority and awarded this safeguard.

Against this background of political and bureaucratic intransigence we come to respectfully beg the Assembly Members of the Welsh Assembly to acknowledge the right of all Welsh residents to be afforded the ‘fair minded’ protection which other residents of these British Isles could expect which is categorically the right to breathe clean air and a clearly defined buffer zone protection distance of at least 500metres.

Petitioners do therefore most urgently request that the Assembly instruct the First Minister – Rhodri Morgan to allow the Planning & Environment Minister to use his powers to either reverse this planning decision affecting the Ffos Y Fran site at Merthyr Tydfil which has failed to take sufficient note of public concern and outrage over toxic material being disturbed on this said site – to ensure that any revised application would be bound by law to include a 500 metre buffer zone protection provision.

Or at this stage retrospectively, using his most extensive discretionary powers, award the inclusion of a 500metre buffer zone distance between this site and specifically and homes and schools to prevent the disturbance of toxic waste.

Parliament has informed us that the Welsh Assembly does have the power and authority to make this decision even at this late stage – we the people who this site will effect are humbly and frantically asking that you do take into account the wishes of the 25,000 people who have signed the various petitions.

After placing our supplications before you, we the Petitioners, resident and law abiding citizens of Great Britain, remain ever respectful and indebted to the integrity of our indulgence to grant notice to this petition.

Petition Status: Closed on 17 January 2008

Link to the transcript of the meeting on 17 January 2008