COUNCIL planners gave the green light yesterday to new production methods at Tata Steel in Port Talbot.

The steel giant welcomed Neath Port Talbot Council planning committee’s approval for its proposals for changes to steel-making at its biggest plant.

Tata Steel has closed both blast furnaces at the plant and is planning to switch to an electric arc furnace.

About 2,000 jobs will be lost, along with hundreds of jobs in the supply chain in south Wales.

The company claimed that its £1.25 billion investment and £500 million of UK government funding will preserve 5,000 Tata Steel UK jobs and cut on-site CO2 emissions by 90 per cent.

But critics of the decision to close the two blast furnaces say the environmental impact will continue as the company is building other blast furnaces in India to cut costs.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “Today’s news will provide security for Port Talbot’s green steel transition and help give Welsh steel-making the certainty it needs to drive growth and attract investment.”