West Lothian loses 29 mining jobs

Mining jobs will be moved from West Calder to Ayrshire after a decision by coal chiefs.

Banks Mining is to shift 29 workers from its Rusha site to Muirkirk’s Ponesk mine after securing a lucrative contract to restore it.

But five members of staff have chosen to take voluntary redundancy packages.

It comes as staff continue attempts to restore the Rusha mine following the announcement earlier this year that coal extraction would be suspended at the site.

Bosses made that decision after the closure of Longannet power station in Fife and blamed foreign imports for slowing trade.

Jim Donnelly, operations director with Banks Mining, said: “As a family firm, continuity of employment for our highly skilled workforce is very important to us and through securing the restoration work at Ponesk we have been able to plan our operations in such a way that we were able to offer alternative opportunities for our workforce at the Rusha site.

“Unfortunately, the option of working at Ponesk did not suit everyone and a small number of the team chose to take redundancy instead.”

Banks Mining estimate that since 2012 the Rusha site contributes more than £5million to West Lothian’s economy each year through wages and other supply chain contributions.

It is unclear whether the mine will open again but restoration work on the site is expected to last two years.

The site will be restored to a mix of diverse woodland and grazing land with the creation of additional water bodies, areas of ecological interest and new public footpaths.

Mr Donnelly added: “We will continue to explore all possible viable alternative markets for the coal from the Rusha site and we will continue with the restoration until the site has been fully restored in accordance with the planning permission for the site.”