Struggling mining company UK Coal are desperate to opencast 556,000 tonnes of coal from Bradley, County Durham. They are taking their application to Judicial Review on 5th June at the London High Court.

UK Coal seemed to be going into liquidation voluntarily (according to a report in the Financial Times). Local businesses in the North are no longer providing tyres as they haven’t been paid in months and all diesel needs to be paid for up front, at their Potland Burn site. The company is trying to off load its pensions obligations to the government for Daw Mill colliery and is failing to compensate the family of a miner killed at one of their sites. This doesn’t sound like a company who can be trusted to restore a new site, nor treat their workers and families fairly.

At the original planning hearing in February 2011 councillors unanimously rejected the application, calling UK Coal thugs and vandals, saying that they wouldn’t be bribed with money towards improving the roads.

UK Coal were not prepared to admit defeat and leave much loved valley alone. They appealed with an Inspectors Inquiry in Autumn 2011 which lasted three weeks, the refusal remained.

Rather than leave the community in peace UK Coal are now going to Judicial Review to contest the inspectors decision.

Local people in the Pont Valley Network have battled with UK Coal to preserve the area their families enjoy, local wildlife spots, great crested newts, red kites, bats, badgers, open views, historical sites and good health. The site as it is provides all this and more.

It seems apparent that UK Coal are in a bad way financially and perhaps they are discussing deals with competitors, so don’t want word of their plight to put off the fat cats? Or maybe they are setting  up a new company to run the profitable aspects of the business before liquidation. Whatever is going on it remains clear that this is not a company to trust with your pension nor to restore open cast sites. Lets hope councils realise this and refuse the applications they have  in the pipeline.

Reuters also had this article…

UPDATE 2-UK Coal strives to save mines after crippling fire

Wed May 1, 2013 12:14pm EDT

* UK Coal in talks with creditors to stay solvent

* Declines to confirm FT report of new debt restructuring offer

* UK industry struggling to survive in tighter market

By John McGarrity

LONDON, May 1 (Reuters) – Britain’s largest miner UK Coal said on Wednesday it was in talks with creditors to fend off a collapse that would cost up to 2,000 jobs and force power stations to scramble to cover their fuel needs.

Heading a domestic coal sector that already looks under threat, the miner warned in February that a fire that closed its largest mine, Daw Mill, could harm the viability of the whole company unless it got outside help from government or creditors.

“We remain positive that we have an underlying profitable business,” UK Coal, part owned by Coalfield Resources, said in a statement after the Financial Times reported it had proposed a voluntary liquidation and the handing over of its remaining mines to a new company.

for the rest of the story see here.

This building was demolished without planning  consent at Lodge House Derbyshire.

If you are aware of such breaches occurring please let us know so that we can compile evidence that the companies cannot be trusted to fulfil their planning obligations, giving us fuel to fight future planning applications.

Find further information and the contact form here.

Coal Action Scotland media release: for immediate use 24th April 2013
Media contact: media@coalactionscotland.org.uk

Scottish Coal ask courts to allow them to walk away from opencast sites as Hargreaves directors set up Restoration Trust on Energy Minister’s behalf

Campaigners are outraged by what they say is a despicable petition to the Court of Session in Edinburgh by liquidators acting on behalf of Scottish Coal, that seeks permission to walk away from mine sites and prioritise the payment of liquidators over planning obligations. [1]

In a separate but related development, campaigners have discovered that Fergus Ewing’s new Scottish Mines Restoration Trust, set up to oversee the restoration of derelict sites as actually registered as a limited company by two of Hargreave’s directors, the very company tipped to buy Scottish Coal’s more productive mines. [2]

A Coal Action Scotland member said: “After so many years of destruction to the countryside and community health, Scottish Coal are making sure they’re taking everyone down with them. They are petitioning the Court of Session to allow them and their liquidators to not only abandon their sites and their statutory obligations, but to prioritise the payment of their liquidators over all winding up costs!

This petition was literally bundled through the courts, with only three days allowed for objections rather than the usual eight. It raises some very serious questions that need answering now, and getting these answers is definitely in the public interest. For example, Scottish Coal imply that local authorities would pick up the costs of putting the sites back together.

And then there’s the other story running parallel to this saga. Fergus Ewing announced on the 20th April that the Scottish Government was setting up the Scottish Mines Restoration Trust to facilitate the restoration of opencast mines, Chaired by Professor Russell Griggs. But the Restoration trust was actually registered as a private company on the 16th April, literally the day before Ewing and Griggs briefed MSPs in Parliament and made no mention of this.

It gets worse: the trust was registered with two directors, Iain Cockburn and Steve MacQuarrie, Group Finance Director and Group Company Secretary for Hargreves, the very opencast mining and waste disposal company currently tipped to buy Scottish Coal’s productive sites. How can Ewing say “we are setting up a new trust” when it’s entirely controlled by yet another private mining company?”

Scottish Coal’s petition to the court of session also raises questions about the company’s finances since its last financial report was issued. In 2011 the company registered assets of £217 million, but in 2013 that figure has since reduced to £55 million [3]. There is no explanation offered for the £162 million difference, what the assets were or where they have gone in that time.

Despite further announcements from Fergus Ewing yesterday about a new task force on opencast mining that will engage with local communities, to date no engagement or consultation has taken place with any communities impacted by opencast mining and these new developments. In response, a meeting is being held on the 1st May in the Scottish Parliament hosted by the Green Party to be attended by members of communities impacted by the operations.

Notes to Editors:

[1] See sections 10.2.1 to 10.2.5
[2] Information obtained from the Certificate of Incorporation of a Private Limited Company, Company no. 447797
[3] See sections 5.1.2 – 5.3.1

Scottish Coal, the UK’s biggest coal producer, has announced on Friday that they are entering administration. Due to recent “significant cash flow pressures” they have laid-off 600 workers and stopped all production at their six open cast sites.

New open cast sites are unlikely to happen, and this is something to be happy about. However, 600 people have lost their jobs, and they won’t be the money men at the top, but the workers with little safety net. They have also had their last week of wages stolen, as this won’t be paid. For those living next to existing or unrestored sites this means scars on the landscape that are unlikely to be fixed any time soon. It’s time to get angry, and take back the land and wages that Scottish Coal bosses have stolen.

Guardian Article
Carluke Gazette
Herald Scotland
BBC News

More information and analysis from Coal Action Scotland is expected shortly. Watch this space.

Gordon Harrison Ltd wanted to extract 190,000 tonnes of coal and 40,000 tonnes of fireclay from land between the village and Bretton Hall Park.

Many people objected to the application including local residents, English Heritage, Wakefield Council, Skelmanthorpe Action Group and West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service, who say there is the potential for late prehistoric/Roman and medieval period remains on the site.

The planning officers recommended the scheme was refused.

Clr Paul Kane, chair of the planning committee said: “I can’t see any special circumstances for opencast mining. The reason I asked about the worth of the coal is because there’ll be £3-4m profit on that and they’ve offered £40,000 to the community, it’s ridiculous. The area is a jewel in the crown and while Bretton Hall and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park may be in Wakefield we don’t want to approve anything that may be detrimental to attracting people here.”

Councillors listed the greenbelt, visual amenity, landscape impact, heritage impact and highways concerns as reasons for rejecting the application.

Cowley Residents Action Group (CRAG) have instructed their legal representatives, Richard Buxton, to instigate legal action against Sheffield City Council following its decision to grant planning permission to RecyCoal Ltd to reclaim coal from the former Hesley Wood Spoil Heap at Chapeltown.

The decision to take legal action is based upon the councils failure to take full account of the impact of the development on air quality as Sheffield is an Air Quality Action Zone and the planning framework requires them to take full account of air quality in the decision making process which appears not to be the case in this application. The council also refused to undertake a Health Impact Assessment despite this being recommended by the Director of Public Health.

As of the 1st April  2013  local authorities have the responsibility for public health and consequently health impact assessments are an internal activity for councils.

A similar scheme, Deanfield at Crofton, West Yorkshire has been deferred by the council until such a health assessment has been undertaken, whilst a scheme near Bretton Country Park has been refused because of concerns raised about the potential community benefits of such a scheme and damage to tourism.

In aid of Campaign Against Great Oak Opencast (C.A.G.O.O.)

For information about the campaign see here.

   Family Acoustics Afternoon
Saturday 6th April 2013
1.00pm until 5.00pm
The Boughey Arms, Nantwich Road, Audley

An Amazing Family Afternoon of Amateur and Professional Acoustic/Vocal Sessions from a variety of local talent this event is an ideal opportunity for you to showcase your musical talents and help raise funds for the Campaign Against Great Oak Opencast.

No matter what your age or ability if you would like to take part or find out more then please get in touch on: 07792221351 or 01782723678 or Email: clairehansbury1@hotmail.co.uk

Please feel free to write your own songs and music too, perhaps relate them to your thoughts on the proposed opencast site. We are open to listening to bands too. The first event in aid of C.A.G.O.O. has already created much attention from bands wanting recognition. We hope to involve the local media, so you never know you may be on the radio or in the newspapers, all of which could be great for your portfolios! We look forward to hearing from you.

May

PLEASE GET IN TOUCH AS SOON AS YOU CAN.
All proceeds to the Campaign Against Great Oak Opencast. Just turn up on the night and please give generously.