The Minorca Opencast Protest Group has now produced a series of Briefing Notes to support Andrew Bridgen's 500m Buiffer Zone Bill. (See update note below added on 7/6/11) These are:

SERIES B: 500m BUFFER ZONE BILL 

B1) 500m BUFFER ZONES

This Briefing Note explains the origin of the 500 Metre Buffer Zone around Opencast / Surface Mines in the United Kingdom, firstly in Scotland and then in Wales. It then chronicles attempts made, so far unsuccessfully, to have a similar policy introduced in England.

B2) ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF 500m BUFFER ZONES 

This Briefing Note outlines arguments that can be deployed to support the introduction of 500 metre buffer zones between opencast mine sites and houses. This is very much a ‘work in progress’ document which will be added too as the arguments are developed further.

B3 ENGLISH OPENCAST COAL SITES 2009-2010 PART ONE: CURRENT SITES 

This Briefing Note (B3) is Part One of a review into the extent of Opencast Mining in England. This covers Current Sites known about for 2009 – 2010 and provides information on the 32 sites which are either derelict, being worked, where planning was not approved, where a planning application has been made or where the Public Exhibitions in advance of a formal application has been made. It has been written to provide evidence for the need for a 500 Metre Buffer Zone.

B4) ENGLISH OPENCAST COAL SITES 2009-2010: POTENTIAL SITES 

This contains a further list of potential English Opencast sites, which has been gathered from a variety of sources. These sites are listed alphabetically for each local authority area in which they are located, In addition there is information for Nottinghamshire and Greater Manchester. The Coal Constraint Areas of Nottinghamshire have been identified along with Areas of Search for opencast coal for Greater Manchester.

B5) CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE 500m BUFFER ZONE BILL 

If you want to know how much of the available opencastable coal will have to stay in the ground if the Bill is past read on. This estimate forms part of the process of explaining how much Carbon Dioxide will be prevented from escaping into the atmosphere if we prevent this coal from being burnt

B6) THE 500m METER BUFFER ZONE BILL EXPLAINED

On Friday 4th February 2010 the Draft of the 500m Buffer Zone Bill was published along with an Explanatory Note. This note explains the content of the Bill and the intention of the Bill. It also provides links to a web site that will enable you to keep in touch with the Bill’s progress and another site which explains how a Bill becomes an Act.

They are free to download from http://www.leicestershirevilla…..-zone.html

In addition, this Campaign has caught the attention of one of the UK's leading Environmental Journalist's, George Monbiot who has publish an article on this on his Guardian web page @

http://www.guardian.co.uk/envi…..es-england

Now members of another campaign group 38 Degrees want 38 Degrees to adopt the 500m Buffer Zone Bill as one of their promoted campaigns. See how you can sign up and show your support @ 

http://38degrees.uservoice.com…..d8c2ad429bto 

Please sign up, Write to your MP asking them to support the 500m Buffer Zone Bill and pass this information on to anyone else who may be interested

Added 7/6/11

Its now looking unlikely that Andrew Bridgens Bill will be introduced into Parliament in the autumn after being talked out in February 2011. The debate on the Bill drew attion to the importance of the proposed National Planning Policy Framework and how this might influence future opencast mine applications if it became law. A draft has now been published which includes comments about coal. If you think we should have a 500m Buffer Zone go to this page on this site to see how you can influence future policy decisions:

The proposed National Planning Policy Framework and how it could affect future Planning Applications for English Opencast Mine Sites.

Steve Leary