Reject coal mine plans, climate protesters urge
YOUNG climate protesters have demanded that plans to dig a new coal mine in Newcastle are rejected.
Members of the UK Student Climate Network staged a demonstration outside the city council’s headquarters on Thursday against Banks Mining’s efforts to develop an opencast mine at Dewley Hill, near Throckley.
Thousands of objections have been lodged against the controversial scheme, which could see 800,000 tonnes of coal extracted from greenbelt land on the outskirts of the city.
The protesters have warned Newcastle City Council that it would be guilty of “complete hypocrisy” if it approves the plans after declaring a climate emergency in 2019.
While the city council’s Labour leader Nick Forbes said earlier this year that “the time for mining in our city is over”, the ultimate decision on the Dewley Hill project will be made by the authority’s planning committee later this year.
Abel Harvie-Clark, one of the protest’s organisers, called on the council to “take responsibility” and “step up” to the challenge of delivering major environmental change.
The 18-year-old, from Heaton, added: “We feel very proud of the coal history in Newcastle, but the idea of building new coal mines is ridiculous to us. As young people, we are going to feel the impact for the longest time.
“It is really disappointing that the council has declared a climate emergency, yet this is still open for debate. It makes you feel like they haven’t listened and that the declaration is hollow.”
Banks has repeatedly claimed that refusing its mining bid would simply lead to coal being imported from overseas, but Abel said the council was not facing “a choice between two evils” and could instead pursue clean energy.
In a letter sent to the council, the student activists said: “We cannot ignore the climate science and local communities, we must not forget about the human lives on the line. We must oppose this mine.”
Thursday marked the deadline for objections to be lodged against the mining scheme, but the council has not specified when it expects to make a decision on the plans.
Banks recently saw a bid to extend one of its mines in County Durham rejected by councillors, a move which gave new hope to opponents of the Throckley plans.
The developer is also behind the controversial project to mine near Druridge Bay in Northumberland.
Jeannie Raine, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “We agree entirely that the UK needs to take responsibility for its environmental impact on the planet and to minimise its carbon emissions, and believe that domestic schemes like Dewley Hill are part of the way in which we can positively tackle climate change.”
She added: “Dewley Hill has been specifically allocated by Newcastle City Council as a minerals site.
“Our proposal will secure 400,000 tonnes of fireclay for the nearby Throckley Brickworks, which will not only help protect 47 local jobs there, alongside 50 jobs at Dewley Hill and 135 in the local supply chain, but will also assist the national drive to build more homes.”