Powys planners have been asked if detailed proposals are required to amend the already approved restoration scheme for a former opencast coal mine near Ystradgynlais

The request, from the developers of the £150 million Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE), comes due to insufficient funds allocated for completing the restoration work at the former Nant Helen opencast site.

GCRE said: “We are requesting a screening opinion for a section 73 application seeking to vary conditions associated with the previously approved planning permission for the restoration of the Nant Helen.

“The purpose of this request is to determine whether or not the revised proposed changes to the development constitutes EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) development, requiring the preparation of an Environmental Statement (ES) to accompany any application.

“The revised proposal includes the creation of priority habitats as did the previous proposal and it is not anticipated to negatively impact designated ecological or cultural heritage features.

“The previous owners of the site left the restoration uncompleted, and that liability now rests with GCRE.

“There are limited funds contained within Escrow to cover the costs of restoration.”

The Escrow contains the money which was set aside by Celtic Energy while coal was extracted at Nant Helen in order to fund restoring the site when work had finished there.

GCRE said: “Some works have been undertaken to spread soils within the former area of the opencast void, but the majority of restoration works remain to be completed.”

GCRE say that the void before it was mined had been covered by forestry plantation.

They believe the site could help “contribute” to the Welsh Government’s ambition of a national forest if tree planting is allowed there.

This would be “balanced” with the original concept of upland grazing at the site and GCRE say that this could be “funded separately” from the Escrow.

GCRE said: “This may provide additional financial resource from the Escrow account to help deliver the restoration and aftercare of the wider site and allow the further management and improvement of biodiversity within the site boundary.

“It is considered that the revised restoration plan is the most deliverable and achievable solution for the site given the limited resource available.”

Nant Helen straddles the county border between Powys and Neath Port Talbot councils.

The last version of the restoration scheme was agreed by councillors in March 2020 at planning committee meetings in both Powys and Neath Port Talbot.

Coaling was due to stop on December 31, 2021, with restoration work supposed to be finished by June 30, 2022.

Councillors had been “assured” at the time that the £19.8 million in the Escrow would fully fund the restoration scheme.

It was revealed in September 2022 that enforcement action had been taken by Powys County Council against Celtic Energy because the company had not completed the restoration of the site in line with the planning permission and expected time scale.

A council spokesman confirmed that this enforcement action is still ongoing and “remains open.”

A decision on the scoping opinion request is expected later this month.

The GCRE is supposed to be built at the former Nant Helen opencast coal mine and will be a purpose built site for world-class research, testing and certification of rolling stock, infrastructure and innovative new rail technologies.

It could create hundreds of jobs and provide a massive boost to the local and national economy.