RESIDENTS in Torfaen are appealing to the public to help start a Friends of The British group, as the council announce their masterplan for the historic site.

A community-led public meeting will take place on Wednesday, August 15 at 6.30pm, Talywain OAP Hall/

The meeting, organised by The British Liaison Group, is to discuss the works proposed on the site’s culverts, shafts and adits, and the potential projects...

Officers from Torfaen County Borough Council and Gwent Wildlife Trust have been invited to answer questions from the floor.

John Cox, 83, chair of The British Liaison Group, said: “We’ve been fighting to regain the site for 30 years. I’m so glad that the council have finally put forward proposals that are so similar to our original suggestions all those years ago.

“As a group, we are really glad that there are no plans to build on the site or to opencast mine it.

“But we are very aware that what the council can do is limited due to costs. They have to use approved consultants and companies, but we could do a lot of the work - once the site is secure - ourselves.

“So we’re looking to put together a Friends of The British group so we can maintain the site - and at a much lower cost than the council would have to pay to do it.

Councillor Gwyn Jenkins said: “We’re now appealing for volunteers because in the council’s proposals there’s still a lot of volunteer work to be done. All we want from the council is that they make it a safe so we can use it as a leisure spot - a place to go for walks and walk dogs.

“We have been fighting against the reopening of a mine for a very long time now and are so happy the site is eventually going to be looked at since the council bought it two years ago.

“Mining on the site would have been detrimental to the health of residents, especially children. Never mind an all round pain for everyone in the area.

“I’ve enjoyed the British for over 30 years and I want generations to enjoy it after me. But we need a strong community team of volunteers who care about the area.

“The British is a big part of local history and the site needs to be made safe but stay accessible.”

Torfaen council bought the former mining site in 2016 and since then work has been carried out to address immediate health and safety concerns.

A spokesman for the council said the next priority is to tackle the most dangerous mine shafts and flood risks on the site, while at the same time agreeing a master plan for future uses of the land.

The consultation, which was released last week, includes revamping the entrance to the site, creating a heritage trail and cafe, improve access and walking routes, road improvements, a landscape corridor, residential development, a community food growing zone, a discovery trail hub and a trekking centre.

The council’s plan derives from a previous round of community consultation but are urging people to have their say once again by filling out a survey: https://getinvolved.torfaen.gov.uk/neighbourhoods/british-master-plan-prif-gynllun-y-british/