Blog – Coal Action Network

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4th March 2018 By coalaction

Do you want to help us to protect a beautiful valley, ancient mine workings, support a local community and stop fossil fuel extraction? On Friday 2nd March the Pont Valley Protection Camp was set up almost opposite Brooms church, on the A692 near the junction with the A693. You can see our banners from the […]

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Protected Newts found on proposed opencast mine site

17th April 2018 By coalaction

This morning (17/04/18) a European Protected Great Crested Newt was found on the land where Banks Group plans to start a new opencast coal extraction in the next seven weeks. Banks Group have claimed that there are no newts on the site and that last summer a licensed ecologist surveyed the site. Banks told the […]

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An incredible victory in an unlikely place

13th April 2018 By coalaction

A pretty rural village, Mencherep, lies beside a lake in the Kuzbass region of Russia. It is the site of a great victory against a foe which has been consuming this area and its people for decades. The village has just been saved from a vast opencast coal mine starting on its doorstep. This is […]

Art

Bust of Secretary of State unveiled to protest lack of action on opencast coal

10th April 2018 By coalaction

This morning (10/03/18) Secretary of State for Communities, Sajid Javid and his colleagues were greeted with a life-size statue depicting the Secretary of State ‘turning a blind eye’ to the imminent expansion of opencast coal mining in the UK. The statue’s creators, Art Rise Up, said they were inspired to create the work and present […]

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Court and camp moves

31st March 2018 By coalaction

Living on the protection camp, against a new opencast coal extraction is thrilling. Everyday new people turn up and bring new insights, food, camp supplies and energy to the camp. There is a constant stream of media enquiries, beeps of support and work to be done. On Tuesday 27th March the camp was taken to […]

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Hilltop opencast refused!

7th March 2018 By coalaction

The planning inspectorate has refused planning permission to Provectus who applied to mine at Hilltop, very close to homes at Old Tupton, Claycross and Holmgate! Monday’s (5th March) excellent news was welcomed by local campaigners and people across the country who are resisting fossil fuels and climate change. It has been a six year battle, […]

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Public outcry at imminent new opencast coal mines amid ‘coal phase-out’

2nd March 2018 By coalaction

Public outcry at imminent new opencast coal mines amid ‘coal phase-out’ Today, residents of County Durham brought a 86,000 signature petition to Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to demand that he uses his powers under the Town and Country Planning Act to revoke permission for a new opencast coal […]

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Press release: Protesters scale trees in sub-zero temperatures in bid to stop new opencast coal mine

27th February 2018 By coalaction

For Immediate Release 27.02.2018 Protesters scale trees in sub-zero temperatures in bid to stop Bradley opencast Interviews (local residents): Drummond Orr 07788660738 | Patrick Carr 07812949420 Photo requests 07980543654 Photo opportunity: A692 between Dipton and Leadgate (junction A693/A692, Brooms Road Ends) from 7am. Today 13 people staged a tree-climbing protest in sub-zero temperatures at a […]

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Banks begin clearing hundred year old trees at Bradley

26th February 2018 By coalaction

Today I got to visit for the first time the beautiful place, called Bradley by Banks mining company, that lies to the south west edge of the village of Dipton. Snow fell, feet frozen, we got down on our knees to meet some of the rare plants that make up part of this diverse habitat. […]

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Online ways to help stop Bradley opencast coal mine

15th February 2018 By coalaction

Earlier this week (13/02/18) 25 residents from County Durham, Pont Valley Network, Derwent Valley Protection Society, and the Burnopfield Environmental Awareness Movement and Coal Action Network appealed to Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in a letter [Download letter] urging him to use his powers under the Town and Country Planning […]