Lead by residents near to Dipton and Leadgate, County Durham, Campaign to Protect Pont Valley was formed in response to Banks Group's 2018 acquisition of mining rights won by the liquidated UK Coal. The community had fought over 30 years to stop UK Coal, and in 2019 teamed up with national and international activists to bring a vibrant and inspiring campaign which mixed direct action with political lobbying and legal challenges.
Email: protectpontvalley@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/protectpontvalley
While the 500,000 tonne Bradley coal extraction site went ahead as planned in 2018, the campaign went on to prevent the extension of the mine, 'West Bradley' in June 2020. The company is not appealling the decision, so the campaign has successfully stopped the spread of opencast coal from Bradley in the Pont Valley.
The local campaign is still active in making sure the company meets it's obligations under the 12 month 'restoration' phase, to ensure the best possible reparation for the damage done to the valley.
The Bradley campaign raised the profile of campaigns against opencast coal mining in the UK, and supported and inspired the still active campaign in Newcastle, Defend Dewley Hill.
This nature was photographed around 50 metres from the edge of the Glan Lash opencast coal mine in Ammanford, South Wales. It shows the thriving ecosystems surrounding the Glan Lash opencast coal mine which has remained dormant since 2019…
In February, CAN gave oral testimony to the Climate Change, Energy, and Infrastructure Committee (CCEIC) on the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Bill…
Coal Action Network was invited to attend Westminster where we gave evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee in their inquiry about the environmental and economic legacy of Wales’ industrial past, alongside Friends of the Earth Cymru. This inquiry was opened in…
16 years of opencast coal mining in Ffos-y-fran has generated colossal overburden mounds, also known as slag heaps or coal tips. There are three coal tips, with the third being the largest, and cumulatively accounting for 37 million cubic metres of colliery spoil, rocks, and soil…
We were invited for the second time to give oral evidence to the Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee of the Welsh Parliament (Senedd) on 05th February 2025. We shared the panel with Haf, Director of FOE Cymru, to provide our opinion on the weaknesses, strengths…
Merthyr (South Wales) Ltd mined for over a year illegally after planning permission for the Ffos-y-fran opencast coal mine ended in September 2022. During that year, it made record-breaking profits due to sanctions on Russia and other factors driving up the price of coal. But rather than using some of the profits from that ill-gotten coal…
MSW claims “It was established that there are insufficient funds available to achieve the 2015 restoration strategy and therefore an alternative scheme is required.” (EIA Scoping Report, July 2024)… To our knowledge, there has been no evidence submitted by MSW that it cannot fund the full restoration it is contracted to undertake…
The UK Government launched a consultation on a limited review of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for 8 weeks from 30 July to 24 September 2024. The NPPF is an influential document that shapes planning decisions and priorities across England. It is periodically updated by the Government, following a public consultation…
Bryn Bach Coal Ltd attempts to present the anthracite coal it wishes to extract from an expansion of Glan Lash as a unique and scarce commodity that is needed for water filtration, bricks, and graphite, and would therefore be too valuable to burn. Yet, visiting Energybuild Ltd’s…
with love and rage! We in Greener Berwick are showing the film Finite in Berwick Friday 8 December