Coal in the UK

Scottish Government Blasted Over Opencast Changes

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Robin Harper MSP has challenged Scottish Ministers over their decision last month to bring in sweeping new planning rules on opencast coal.

The new rules were condemned as an attempt to shield Ministers from the true cost to communities of a new generation of coal power.

Responding to questions asked by Robin Harper MSP (1) and the SNP’s Aileen Campbell MSP, the Minister confirmed that local authorities, not the Scottish Government, will now be responsible for deciding the vast majority of opencast coal operations.

The Scottish Greens have also today lodged a motion (2) in Parliament calling for a moratorium on new opencast sites in Scotland and a phasing-out of coal power altogether.

Robin Harper MSP said:

“Local councils clearly have a vested interest in approving more opencast coal as they benefit hugely from coal revenues through business rates, levies and sponsorship deals. By issuing these sweeping new planning rules it seems that the Scottish Government is abandoning communities to another decade of local pollution and disruption simply to power an outdated energy model and in turn fuelling a global climate disaster.

“The Minister says that local councils are best placed to represent local communities and in general I agree but in this instance we are talking about vital national issues of energy supply and climate change. The renewable technologies already exist to make our energy supply completely clean and efficient. Ministers should put a halt to all new coal operations and give Scottish communities a break.”

From Cumnock Chronicle

Mine ‘would kill town’s image’

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Telford’s image as a modern, clean town, surrounded by countryside, would be wrecked by an opencast coal mine in an area of outstanding natural beauty, it was claimed today.

Planning expert Dr Malcolm Hockaday said residents’ lives would be spoilt by noise, dust and traffic from excavations visible from The Wrekin.

And he accused UK Coal of failing to prove any exceptional need to justify digging up a nationally important beauty spot and wildlife haven.

He was speaking at a public inquiry into UK Coal’s application to extract 900,000 tonnes of coal from a site in Huntington Lane over three years.

The coal, largely destined for Ironbridge Power Station, would come from two craters between Little Wenlock and New Works, linked by a “haul road” for trucks over a scheduled ancient monument.

UK Coal says 92 jobs would be created while Telford’s economy would be boosted by the site’s £13 million annual turnover.

It claims the mine is needed to cut Britain’s reliance on imported coal and reduce the carbon footprint of carrying coal thousands of miles from Siberia.

Telford & Wrekin Council, which is leading the opposition, today called its main witness, Cardiff-based consultant Dr Hockaday, a fellow of the Royal Town Planning Institute.

He said: “Telford’s success has been based on its new identity as a modern and clean town, lying within attractive green surroundings.

“The legacy of deep mining and associated industry has now all but disappeared.”

The council’s efforts to shed Telford’s mining past and move into the 21st century would be harmed by a new mine, he claimed.

Dr Hockaday said that the proposed site, which is partly in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, was a nationally important buffer between Telford and the countryside.

It was treasured as a gateway to The Wrekin.

Its planning status was the same as a national park and Government policy banned opencast mines in such areas except in “exceptional” circumstances, he said.

The inquiry continues.

From the Shropshire Star\

Open cast guidance from CPRE…

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The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), a somewhat slumbering giant in the open cast sector, has just published a 4 page guidance document on opposing open cast in the UK.

It includes some very useful background information about the activities of some of their groups, who it appears, understand the planning process rather well.

Download the guide today!