West Cumbria Mining have been granted planning permission for the on land section of a coking coal mine which would reach under the Irish sea. Lead by Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole and South Lakes Action on Climate Change – towards transition, a number of campaign groups and the local MP, Mr Farron, have […]
Update on Secretary of State’s decisions on opencast coal mining
15th March 2019
The Secretary of State agreed to remake a decision regarding the revocation of planning permission for extraction of coal by opencast methods at the Bradley site in the Pont Valley, Durham, by the 25th February 2019. The department agreed that its original decision making process was “flawed” and so it would remake the decision. No […]
Banks in court trying to get permission to mine at Druridge Bay
19th October 2018
This week Banks Group went to the High Court to try and get a decision made by the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government over-ruled on a new opencast extraction near to Druridge Bay in Northumberland. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) says, “149. Permission should not be given for the extraction […]
Can you help the Campaign to Protect Pont Valley? We are asking that you email James Brokenshire, the Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government and ask him to stop the Bradley opencast. A template letter is below. The email address is james.brokenshire@communities.gsi.gov.uk please copy in jake.berry@communities.gsi.gov.uk, or you can write to Ministry […]
Government called on to stop UK coal mining expansion plans amid ‘coal phase-out’
13th February 2018
Two new opencast coal mines in northern England could begin work this spring, unless the government decides to intervene, despite recent affirmations that the UK will end coal use for electricity by 2025. This year, following the UK governments joint launch of the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’, the mining company Banks Group announced their intention […]
Bradley opencast – the story so far
31st January 2018
Banks Group intend to opencast coal mine at Bradley this spring Banks Group plan to start a new 550,000 tonnes coal mine at Bradley in the Pont Valley, County Durham. The site is home to red kites, badgers, bats, great crested newts, common blue butterfly, barn owls as well as less obvious but equally vital […]