MOPG Press Releases No 71 – 90

These can all be downloaded from

http://www.leicestershirevilla…..ca-op.html

PR 71) ‘Parish Council not sidetracked by ‘Inducements’, 13/8/10

PR 71 contains the result of Measham Parish Council's second consideration of the Minorca Surface Mine application.

PR 72) ‘Dramatic pictures show that the risks of Opencast Mining can only be too real’, (18/8/10)

 We are accused of 'scaremongering' and talking about 'red herrings' Are we? Read this press release and then follow the link to see the pictures and make up your own mind.

PR 73) ‘A Public Appeal for help to stop a new Opencast Mine application from succeeding in the Heart of England’, (24/8/10)

 MOPG launches a public appeal for people to lodge their objections to the Minorca Opencast mine proposal on Climate Change and Environmental grounds. (We still need you to write an objection to this application – see

http://www.leicestershirevilla…..otest.html

for how anyone can submit an objection.

PR 74) ‘The real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal’, (26/8/10).

This press release provides detailed information about the real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal to Measham. This is released to contradict claims made by the Ashby and Measham Canal Supporters that imply that the cost of restoring the Canal from Swepstone to Measham is £2.5m.

PR 75) ‘Will UK Coal plc be able to afford to restore the Ashby Canal’, (27/8/10).

As pointed out in our latest press release “Will UK Coal be able to afford to restore the Ashby Canal” (PR 75) and our revised Briefing Note on UK Coal plc also published today, when a Company's Auditors qualify the Company's Accounts then this is a company in some financial trouble. As the press release makes clear this could have dire consequences for local people if despite these financial facts UK Coal plc gain planning permission to work the Minorca site. Our press release draws attention to the financial facts, describes some of the possible consequences and suggests a line of action that both proposes and opposers to the planning application can take in order to secure the benefits on offer if UK Coal gain planning permission.

PR 76) ‘Protestors again face an uphill challenge to convince Councillors to reject the Minorca Application for a second time’, (6/9/10).

This press release outlines the content of a three minute speech Steve Leary will make on behalf of MOPG to the Planning Committee of NWLDC on Tuesday 7th September.

PR 77) ‘UK Coal’s Minorca Opencast Application: North West Leicestershire District Council still says no!!”, (8/9/10)

MOPG's 77th Press release explains the decision made by the Planning Committee of North West Leicestershire District Council to continue to oppose UK Coal's Minorca Application.

PR 78) ‘Campaigners argue that a change in policy means that new opencast mine applications are less likely to succeed’, (14/9/10)

This press release highlights the publication of our new Briefing Note which explains why MOPG believe that a change in Government Energy Policy makes a successful Minorca Surface Mine less likely.

PR 79) ‘Minorca Application lacks a through Traffic Assessment’, (21/9/10)

This press release accompanies the publication of the Minorca Opencast Protest Group's first objection to the proposed Minorca Opencast Mine Application based on our assessment of the impact this application will have on local traffic.

PR 80) ‘UK Coal fail to respond to two more objections raised by protestors about the Minorca Opencast Application’, (23/9/10)

This press release outlines why MOPG are still mounting objections to the Minorca Application on economic grounds as MOPG publish more objections.

PR 81 ‘Visible dust will be a problem for local residents if the Minorca Plan goes ahead says MOPG’, (27/9/10)

This Press Release describes why MOPG believe that visible black coal dust will affect the daily life of local people as MOPG publish its 4th objection.

PR 82) ‘Another set of objections completely ignored by UK Coal’, (30/9/10)

 This press release explains MOPG's 4th set of Objections which criticises UK Coal's assessment of the alleged economic and social benefits associated with the proposed Minorca Surface Mines and makes the claim that our campaign has extracted an extra £1m of proposed local 'benefits'. This represents the price UK is willing to pay rather than answer our objections

PR 83) ‘The Minorca Opencast Mine experience is likely to be a longer term ‘Blot on the Landscape ‘ says MOPG’, (12/10/10)

PR 83 'The Minorca Opencast Mine experience is likely to be a longer term' blot on the landscape' says MOPG' accompanies the publication of our 5th set of objections to the Minorca Surface Mine Application on the effect this application would have on the local landscape and gives some of the detail contained in the submission as well as suggesting why the effect may be longer lasting.

It also announces the postponement of the Determination Date

PR 84 ‘Recent decision means that approval of the Minorca Opencast Application is even less of a foregone conclusion’, (22/11/10)

This press release explains why a recent planning decision to reject an opencast mine application means that the outcome of the Minorca Application may not be the foregone conclusion that many people think.

PR 85) ‘Campaigners resistance to opencast mine proposal hears encouraging news from MP’, (26/11/10)

Our latest Press Release contains more good news for the Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG)and more bad news for UK Coal plc as the fight to stop a new opencast application continues. It also contains the results of MOPG 2010 AGM.

PR 86) ‘Safeguarding the Community benefits of the proposed Minorca Surface Mine’, (6/12/10)

This press release outlines why MOPG are asking all those local bodies with an interest in the Minorca Surface Mine Application, whether for the application (Ashby Canal Trust, Ashby Canal Association and Measham and Ashby Canal Trust Enthusiasts) or against the application (Measham, Swepstone and Snarestone Parish Councils) to join with MOPG in asking Leicestershire County Council to ask UK Coal to provide a Bankers Guarantee as a condition to be met if the company gain approval to work the Minorca site in light of the Company's “fragile financial circumstances”.

PR 87 ‘The water quality of the River Mease Special Area of Conservation is threatened by UK Coal’s Minorca Opencast Proposals say objectors’, (29/12/10)

This press explains why MOPG is critical of the hydrological assessments made by Wardle Armstrong on behalf of UK Coal over the impact that the Minorca Surface Mine will have on the River Mease Catchment Area. This is follows the publication of MOPG’s sixth formal objection.

PR 88) ‘The Minorca Opencast Application is just the tip of an iceberg, (6/1/11)

This Press Release accompanies the publication of MOPG's two part review into the extent of opencast mining in England. The review was written to provide evidence for Andrew Bridgen's 500 Metre Buffer Zone Bill.

PR 89) ‘Saving local communities from the risk of opencast mining’ (6/1/11)

This is the template of a press release being sent to various local media outlets across England who serve communities where there is potential for an opencast mine.

PR 90) ‘The 500m Buffer Zone Bill is needed to ‘Right a Wrong’ in British Planning Law’, (10/1/11)

This Press Release emphasises a different aspect of the argument as to why Communities in England should benefit from a 500m Buffer Zone law. It shows how many areas of England could be prone to opencast mining because local communities, unlike those in Scotland and Wales do not benefit from having a 500m Buffer Zone policy in operation. 

These can all be downloaded from

http://www.leicestershirevilla…..ca-op.html