The MP for North West Leicestershire, Andrew Bridgen came 12th in the ballot of Back Bench MP's for introducing a Private Member's Bill. His chosen topic is to make legal a requirement that no mew opencast mining should occur within 500m of where people live. On June 12th he gave his Planning (Opencast Mining Separation Zones) Bill it's 1st Reading in the House of Commons.

The 2nd Reading is due to take place on February 11th, 2011. By then, Andrew will need to know that he has the backing of at least 100 MP's who will vote with him to support this Bill. 

Andrew Bridgen is the MP for the constituency in which it is proposed to open the Minorca Surface Mine. He has been a supporter of The Minorca Opencast Protest Group since our inception in November 2008. This is a non party political matter, and MOPG urge you to contact your own MP to ask them to show their support for Andrew Bridgen's Bill.

You can find out more information about why Andrew has introduced this Bill by going to his blog page on the subject @

http://conservativehome.blogs&…..ining.html

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group has also produced two short Briefing Notes on this subject that you can download and send on to your MP, and if you know any Members of the House of Lords, then please lobby them on this Bill too. MOPG's Two Briefing Notes are:

B1) 500 Metre Buffer Zones and B2) Arguments in Favour of a 500m Buffer Zone @

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

Update 20/1/11

You can now follow this attempt to pass an English 500m Buffer Zone Bill by following this link:

http://www.leicestershirevilla…..-zone.html