There's a situation emerging in Northumberland & the North East about which I have done nothing and about which I have no plans to do anything - yet. But I know I am against the annihilation of local areas for the sake of a day (or less)'s electricity generation. So it is quite likely I will get involved ... somehow ...
Opencast coal offers a fast profit, and we all seem to like burning electricity, so the applications to destroy and excavate the coal from just underneath the surface of the following places will not go away. At present there are delays, temporary blocks, local opposition, and unclear situations. Some are pressing to get the english law changed to what the scottish case is - no opencast allowed within 500 metres of habitation. Perhaps I will go tour the sites and draw what they look like, before mammon comes to destroy them (fancy joining me?). And then perhaps I will join those who go down fighting in defence of mother earth. We shall see.
Pic of Cramlington Opencast
NORTH EAST SITES CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION
BIRKLANDS nr .Marley Hill, Gateshead (Application) (Hall Construction Services).
Online petition that can be signed to show
opposition to open casting at this proposed 275,000 tonne site.
BRADLEY nr. Consett, (Judicial Review) (UK Coal)
The
Planning Inspectorate yet to make a decision on whether it will defend its decision to reject
UK Coal’s Application to extract 556,000 tonnes of coal after a Public
Inquiry.
NOTT - 'No Opencast Today or Tomorrow' grpup.
FERNEYBEDS,
WIDDRINGTON STATION 8 miles NW of Ashington (Scoping Inquiry) (Banks Group).
HALTON LEA GATE 5 miles SW of Haltwhistle, (Public Inquiry) (HM Developments)
Local
residents fighting to oppose the 3rd application in two years for a
140,000 tonne site
HOODSCLOSE Whittonstall (Application) (UK Coal)
UK
Coal hopes to extract 2.2m tonnes of coal and 500,000 tonnes of
fireclay over a seven year period.
Whittonstall Action Group. MARLEY HILL RECLAMATION Sunnyside, Gateshead (Scoping Enquiry) (UK Coal)
Article.
WELL HILL FARM, STANNINGTON nr Morpeth (Application) (Hargreaves Services)
Information from the
Loose Anti-Opencast Network (LAON) infoatlaon@yahoo.com
More info on active opposition to opencast, including the Scottish situation in the Douglas Valley.
Hello Michael,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the publicity for LOAN. The full press release contained information on why opencast mining is going to be a recurring problem until the law / policy on planning is changed.
The full press release can be read on the Northern Indymedia web site under the by line of 'English Oposition to Opencast Mining' , dated 8/6/12
Best Wishes
inforatloan