Cost of inquiries mounts up.

A BOROUGH is counting the cost of several proposed public inquiries.

Councillors in Merthyr Tydfil have been warned about escalating costs, which stand at pounds 97,000 for 2009-10. But the projected bill for the following year is about pounds 170,000 - made up of fees for engineering reports, barristers and professional witnesses. The bulk of the costs involve the Merthyr Village planning inquiry, due to start next April. It will cost pounds 40,000 to pounds 50,000 in legal representation, the same amount for other professionals' fees and pounds 8,000 for accommodation.

TheWelsh AssemblyGovernment's planning inspectorate will decide if MV's proposed pounds 70m opencast mining land remediation scheme at Rhydycar West can go ahead.

An associated rightsof-way inquiry will involve pounds 10,000 to pounds 15,000 for publicity, pounds 25,000 to pounds 30,000 in legal fees and pounds 4,000 accommodation costs, with pounds 5,000 committed to cover a judicial review.

The examination of the local development plan, due to start on November 23, is expected to take several weeks.