Government rejects planning application for coal mine

THE Government has rejected a controversial planning application for an opencast coal mine close to a picturesque beach.

Campaigners were celebrating after Banks Mining’s application to work a site at Highthorn near Druridge Bay in Northumberland was turned down by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick.

In his written statement on the bid, Mr Jenrick found the proposal to be “not environmentally acceptable”.

Local resident Lynne Tate, of the group Save Druridge, said: “We are absolutely ecstatic.

“We started back in 2013 and now it has come to a close, and Druridge Bay is going to remain beautiful and tranquil.

“We don’t need the coal, all Banks Mining would be doing would be contributing to a national and international climate emergency.”

Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “With the world staring at catastrophic climate change, this is the right decision.

“Coal mines must be consigned to the history books if we are going to avoid climate breakdown.

“Let’s leave coal in the ground where it belongs and invest in energy saving and renewable power to build the safe, clean and fairer future we so urgently need.”

Banks Mining had applied for permission to extract three million tonnes of coal, then restore or improve the landscape.

Two years ago, Sajid Javid, the then communities secretary, turned down the Highthorn application, but the company won a series of challenges to have the plans reconsidered. County councillors had originally approved the scheme despite protests from locals and environmentalists who argued the mine would have huge implications for tourism and wildlife, including otters, dolphins and pink-footed geese.

The firm recently closed what it said was England’s last coal mine, north of Newcastle, and lobbied for permission to work the Highthorn site, saying the UK still needed coal for industry which would otherwise have to be imported.

Gavin Styles, executive director at Banks Mining, says: “We are extremely disappointed that, more than four years after an independent planning inspector recommended that the Highthorn scheme should go ahead, the Secretary of State has once again chosen to go against this expert advice.

“At a time when our region and country is facing an unprecedented economic crisis, this decision effectively hands the much-needed and valued jobs of our North East workforce to Russian miners, who will be delighted to meet British industry’s continuing need for coal whilst simultaneously significantly increasing global greenhouse gas emissions.

“This decision won’t solve the problem, but will instead make it worse. We are grateful to the thousands of people and businesses who have given their backing to this project, including our colleagues and their families, our suppliers, customers and business associates, and the politicians who recognise the reasons why it is important for British industry to have a locallybased coal source.

“We are just so very saddened that this misplaced decision stops us from being in a position to offer them and the many people living in the surrounding communities who supported the Highthorn application the continued support through jobs and investment that they so richly deserve and need.

“We will now review the precise reasons for this decision before agreeing on the most appropriate steps to take.”