Mine battler’s claim of ‘blood on hands’
A community campaigner fighting plans for an opencast coal mine in Telford claimed supporters of the scheme would have “blood on their hands” if the scheme was finally given the go-ahead.
Pat Judson, of Friends of the Ercall, claimed a mine would cause asthma and other problems for children living nearby.
And he said it was appalling that health issues appeared to be given little weight in the planning process.
He was giving his final address yesterday at the six-week public inquiry into UK Coal’s bid to extract 900,000 tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fireclay from Huntington Lane, between New Works and Little Wenlock.
UK Coal says a mine would help meet demands by the Government for home-produced coal, create 92 jobs and provide fuel for Ironbridge Power Station.
Telford & Wrekin Council says a mine would cause misery for residents and harm precious countryside, including part of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Inspector Andrew Mead has been hearing final speeches from barristers for UK Coal and the council before considering the evidence and reporting to the Government. A decision by ministers is not due before the end of the year.
The other group officially represented at the inquiry is Friends of the Ercall, whose witness, retired GP Dr Dick van Steenis, claimed potentially dangerous fine dust particles would be blown on to an area in which more than 90,000 people live.
Mr Judson told the inspector: “We find it appalling and repugnant that health is barely worth a mention within English planning guidance.
“Those who have played a part in this application for an opencast mine, close to large concentrations of housing and schools, will have blood on their hands.”
Afterwards, he paid tribute to the council for leading the battle against UK Coal. “The community really appreciates the council’s efforts and looks forward to working with it in future to protect the area around The Wrekin and Ercall,” he said.
From the Shropshire Star
The current unfair disparity that allows scotland and Wales to have both 500 metre buffer zones and Health Impact assessments produced for ANY planned new mine, whilst England is not allowed this basic health protection, could be about to end.
Local Telford Conservative MP , Mr Mark Pritchard, has this week called upon Harriet Harman in the Houses of Parliament, to open a debate as to why this unfair disparity is allowed to continue.
We applaud Mr Pritchard, and also the Labour MP, Mr David Wright, who challenged his own Government on this issue back in February.
The group that I am spokesman for, Friends of the Ercall, have been calling for this disparity, and loophole in English planning law to be amended for nearly 1 year.
We would like to call upon ANY group, in any area of England, that is facing a planned Opencast mine, by any Coal company, to write to Secretary of State, for Communities and Local Government, Mr John Denham, to amend the Mineral Planning guidance urgently, and to close the loophole which allows Coal companies to mine within 120 metres from peoples homes, does not recognise Health Impact Assessments -( despite in Telfords case, the Primary care Trust advising one be done before any decision was made on the planned UK Coal opencast mine, due to the large population living downwind ).
I would recommend everyone take a look at the report “Coal Opencasting and Health”, by Dr D Van Steenis,MBBS, who represented us at Public inquiry recently, (This report can be accessed on the All Friends Around the Wrekin website, in the stories/news section ), and then please , put pen to paper and write to Mr Denham.
Unless this Mineral planning guidance is amended, to INCLUDE Health as a major point of planning consideration, then its open season on England, and if you live in the area of a coal reserve, YOU could be next.
Would you not at least want a Health Impact Assessment to be undertaken for you - and seriously considered by your local planning Authority & Public Inquiry if need be?
Do YOU, not deserve to at least have equality of protection as Scotland and Wales , in that NO mining should take place within 500 metres of your home?
We were supposed to be assured under basic human rights, section 14, the right to “protection of people placed in analoguous situations” - the whole of the UK signed up into law the act, -England in 2,000, so for 9 years now, the Government has ignored, and trampled over our human rights to equal consideration of Health protection, whilst allowing it for Scotland and Wales.
This has to stop -NOW.
Please make your contribution of a letter count in the fight to gain equality for England where Opencast Mining is concerned, remember, we have the chance to alter things for those who are too young to be able to do so - read Dr Van Steenis s report, and help to give them a future.
Pat Judson, Friends of the Ercall.