Coal in the UK

Villagers unite in coal plans fight

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OPPOSITION to plans for an open-cast mine in Cossall is growing.

UK Coal revealed in May that it was considering mining at the Shortwood Farm site in Cossall, almost a decade after previous plans were withdrawn.

New information now shows the company has gathered background information and is getting ready to make a planning application to set up the mine.

Villagers plan to hold a public meeting next week with the aim of forming an action group to fight the scheme.

Jane Burd, of Notts Against new Coal, said: “The information we have received via the Freedom of Information Act has given us a heads up on UK Coal’s plan and will give us time to prepare our counter-argument.

“It says not only that they propose to submit a planning application, but has diagrams of where it is going to be. We’re fairly certain in the next few weeks they’ll be making a move.

“I would urge anyone who lives nearby, whether they have environmental interests or not, to come along to the meeting because if this goes ahead, it will affect their lives.”

Correspondence unearthed by the Freedom of Information request included an email from a planning consultant to Broxtowe Borough Council.

It said: “UK Coal propose to submit a planning application for the extraction of coal and fireclay at a site of agricultural land at Shortwood Farm, which lies between the villages of Cossall to the north and Trowell to the south in the district of Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire.

“The development would extract in the order or 1.8 to 2.0 million tonnes over a 5.5-year period.”

Stuart Oliver, of UK Coal, said the consultant’s inquiries were “part of the evaluation process” as it had not yet decided which sites to take forward first.

“The process of evaluating Shortwood Farm and where it sits in our programme is ongoing,” he said. “We’ve got several schemes we’re looking at in the coalfield areas and I’d think by mid-October we would have a clearer picture as to where the priority schemes will be.

“There is still a lot of work to be done. But within a month we hope to be in a position to say A, B or C are going to be put in to the next planning application phase to maintain an annual output of surface mines in the order of two million tonnes.”

He added: “There has been a lot of work on the Shortwood Farm scheme but it is ten years since that was withdrawn.”

The public meeting is on Wednesday at the Festival Inn in Trowell, at 7pm. Broxtowe MP Nick Palmer, Anna Soubry, prospective parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives and Ken Rigby, Liberal Democrat County Coun for Cossall and Trowell are due to attend.

From: This is Nottingham

Opencast campaign to continue with open meeting

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CAMPAIGNERS are ready to grill county council chiefs over a proposed opencast mine in Measham.

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) is hoping to get answers to 10 questions at a meeting tomorrow night.

UK Coal wants to extract 1.25 million tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fire clay off Gallows Lane.

Members of the development control and regulatory board at Leicestershire County Council, which will make the final decision on the plans, will be at the meeting. MOPG members say they plan to ask questions about UK Coal’s record when it comes to restoring sites, light pollution, the use of buffer zones, the company’s claims about job prospects, and traffic issues.

MOPG chairman Steve Leary said: “This is the only chance people will have to voice their objections directly to those members of the development control and regulatory board.

“It is very important that as many people as possible who are against UK Coal’s proposal attend this meeting. It is regrettable that UK Coal will not formally be represented at the meeting, as there are questions we would have liked to have put which only they can answer, on issues such as employment, restoration of the Ashby Canal and the destination of the fireclay.

“However we now understand that Measham Parish Council is to arrange a public meeting on this application to which UK Coal will be invited.” The meeting will be held from 7pm at St Laurence’s Church Hall, in High Street, Measham.

From: Burton Mail

‘We can undermine opencast plans’

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OPENCAST mine protesters say they are ʻincreasingly confidentʼ they can undermine crucial areas of a controversial planning application.

The research team assisting Measham’s Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) believe they have a case that can be submitted to Leicestershire County Council demonstrating ‘flaws’ in UK Coal’s bid to extract 1.25 million tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fire clay off Gallows Lane.

They say their claims can be backed after The Environment Agency requested a new set of readings be undertaken on the state of the ground water on the site as they are not happy with the evidence contained in the submission document on this issue.

Campaigners say they are also ‘increasingly aware of the devices that UK Coal has used in submitting a document which claims to include ‘independent’ and ‘objective’ reports which, on closer reading, prove to be biased’ to show the company has the full support of Government planning guidance.

On several occasions in its application, UK Coal claims that Government guidance should give priority to ‘proposals which will bring about environmental improvements for example, by the restoration of previously derelict areas or by the stabilisation of unstable ground’.

In one short section of the submission document, the Socio Economic Assessment, which is just 18 pages long, the claim that the Minorca site (pictured above) has derelict land which will be restored as part of the need to work the coal, and that the ground is unstable, is made twice.

However, protesters contest this, saying UK Coal wants to ‘rip up a green field site’ and that the ground is not unstable.

MOPG chairman Steve Leary said: “This is not the only example of misleading statements contained in this small 18-page section.

“They draw on inappropriate evidence when comparing urban and sub urban brown field sites with a greenfield site, they exaggerate the economic benefits to the local economy, and there are two further deliberately misleadingly interpretations of Government guidance – all within just 18 pages.

“This is a large document, about 1,500 pages long. We are confident that we will be able to draw on many further examples of how UK Coal has used the ‘evidence’ it has submitted to make claims that on closer examination cannot be substantiated.” A public meeting, organised by Leicestershire County Council, will be held at St Laurence’s Church Hall, in High Street, Measham, from 7pm on Thursday, September 17. Concerned residents are invited to attend.

From: Burton Mail

Opencast mine protest takes to the streets

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CAMPAIGNERS hoping to stave off the threat of an opencast mine near their homes are set to take their fight to the streets of Measham.

UK Coal wants to extract 1.25 million tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fire clay at the Minorca site, off Gallows Lane.

Protesters are hoping to get their message across to residents in an unconventional manner prior to three crucial meetings being held this month.

A soapbox will be situated at the village’s Mary’s Corner between 10am and noon on Saturdays, September 5 and 12.

This will mark the beginning of series of events where the Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) will be encouraging people to join its campaign.

Chairman Steve Leary said: “With three important meetings coming up that will help to decide the future local character of the area.It is crucial for MOPG to get its message out that this opencast mine proposal, which very few people actually want, can be stopped.

“This is why we are taking to the streets, so that we can get our message across and encourage more people to support our campaign and help stop this proposal.” To aid the cause of protesters, a campaign meeting will be held in St Laurence’s Church Hall, in High Street, Measham, from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Monday, September 7.

Leaflet drops will be organised, advice will be provided on writing objection letters, lobbying activities will be organised and fund raising ideas discussed.

Mr Leary said: “Anyone interested in stopping these plans can just drop in to see how they can help.” Campaigners hope the event will help prepare protesters for the trio of important meetings.

Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust members are set to discuss the group’s request for a Health Impact Assessment to be undertaken to assess potential risks to residents at its headquarters in Enderby, Leicester, at 2pm on Thursday, September 10.

A second meeting, being held at 7pm on the same day at St Laurence’s Church Hall, will see Measham Parish Council discussing the need for a 500-metre buffer zone and the potential for organising a debate between campaigners and UK Coal on the proposals.

Residents are also being encouraged to attend a public meeting, organised by Leicestershire County Council, from 7pm at the church hall on Thursday, September 17.

From: Burton Mail

Opencast blast fears prompt health calls

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THE threat of blasting at a proposed opencast site has increased the need for a health impact assessment (HIA) to be undertaken, campaigners say.

UK Coal is seeking permission to carry out the activity at the proposed 321-acre Minorca Opencast site off Gallows Lane, in Measham, as it hopes to gain approval to recover 1.25 million tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of fireclay.

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) is now demanding that a HIA is carried out prior to UK Coal’s application being considered by Leicestershire County Council.

Although such a requirement is not part of the planning process in England, it is in Wales for an application of this size. In addition, in Wales and Scotland there is a 500m buffer zone requirement between areas of settlement and an opencast site.

MOPG has now vowed to write to parish councils in Measham, Swepstone, Packington and Snarestone to join the group and the Measham Medical Unit in support of the request for a HIA, which has already been made to Leicestershire and Rutland Primary Health Care Trust.

Group chairman Steve Leary said: “UK Coal, as we have already indicated, is a company whoich will seek to use the planning system to its advantage. In this case, local people are being wooed by the prospect of £150,000 being offered to benefit the community amongst other things, if it does get planning permission.

“HIAs cost money. The first one undertaken in England for an opencast mine application was for UK Coal’s Huntington Lane application near Telford, earlier this year, and cost Telford and Wrekin Council approximately £80,000 after UK Coal refused to pay.

“MOPG argues that UK Coal has a duty to honour its industry’s Code of Practice and use some of the £150,000 earmarked for community benefits on reassuring local people that there are no health and safety risks attached to their application to mine at Minorca, by offering to fund a HIA now. Surely, assessing the health and safety risks that local residents would be exposed to if the application went ahead is more valuable than the provision of a new community amenity at some unspecified date in the future.”

A letter from Minorca project manager Anton Fix to Leicestershire County Council, which has been viewed by The Mail, tries to play down concerns.

It says: “The proposal has been carefully planned to incorporate measures to mitigate the short term negative impacts of the operational phase and to enhance the positive benefits to be derived from the restoration scheme.”

The letter also states up to 50 full time jobs could be created by the scheme.

From: Burton Mail

Villagers raise fears over opencast mining plans

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VILLAGES will suffer noise, dirt and danger if plans for the opencast mining of two million tonnes of coal are approved.

Archaeologists will start digging the site of a potential coal mine to unearth its history as part of an environmental assessment.

A series of shallow trenches will be dug in the next few weeks on land near Whittonstall, north of Consett, County Durham, to find evidence of a history of cultural importance.

UK Coal says it will submit a planning application to carry out the coal extraction, just over the border with County Durham.

But there are fears of the scheme’s impact on villages in Derwentside that could be on the route of lorries going to and from the site.

The company says it is likely to submit an application to work the site, which would be called Hoodsclose, by the end of the year and that if the scheme is approved it would create at least 50 jobs for about seven years.

The presence of coal reserves was proved in the Seventies by a drilling programme by the then National Coal Board (NCB). A subsequent application by the NCB to extract up to 3.5 million tonnes from the Whittonstall site was refused in 1978.

Durham County councillor for Leadgate and Medomsley, Watts Stelling, has voiced his opposition to the scheme because of its impact on his constituents.

Councillor Stelling, a member of the Derwentside Independents group, said: “My concern is that the villages will have coal wagons trundling along country roads through Ebchester, Low Westwood, Hamsterley Colliery, Hamsterley Mill, Leadgate, Lanchester, etc, and that the noise, dirt and danger would be intolerable.

“This part of County Durham already has the heavy lorries to and from Broadoak Quarry not far from the proposed opencast site.

“Enough is enough.

Northumberland County Council should look for any proposed traffic movements to go through their county for a change.’’ UK Coal project manager Richard Cory said: “The scaled-down proposals will take account of the reasons the larger previous scheme was rejected and will include a wide range of measures to protect surrounding communities and the environment.

“Coal that can be recovered from Hoodsclose in an environmentally acceptable way will displace imports, create well-paid jobs and provide a boost for the local and regional economy.”

From: The Northern Echo