Meeting on mine move at Wrekin
Wednesday 7th March 2007, 12:42AM GMT.
A public meeting is to be held in Shropshire to discuss controversial plans to start open-cast coal mining at the foot of The Wrekin.
Representatives of UK Coal will spell out their proposals at Little Wenlock Village Hall on March 28 at 7pm.
The company hopes to extract 900,000 tonnes of coal – enough to keep Britain in electricity for a week – over a four-year period.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard fears it will destroy an area of “outstanding beauty”.
He has started an on-line petition against the plan at www.markpritchard.com
He hopes that a “people’s protest” will persuade UK Coal to back down over the scheme.
The two sites earmarked are off New Works Lane and Huntington Lane.
Residents fought a bitter battle in the 1990s to stop RJB Mining, since bought by UK Coal, from extracting coal in the area.
They have reacted angrily to the news that the prospect of coal mining has reared its head again.
They are worried about the impact on the environment and wildlife, disturbance from lorries and dust and a potential threat to the quality of life.
UK Coal says there is a ready market for this coal in power stations in the West Midlands.
It says it intends to submit a planning application in the summer and has promised to keep people informed and to seek their views.
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
I am very concerned that a coal company is intending to submit for planning an open cast mine. The Government has strict targets for reducing carbon emissions levels to pre 1990 levels and proposals such as these will not help meet these aims. We should be looking at more progressive forms of energy production such as wind, wave and ground source heat pumps rather than taking backward steps such as this. It will damage the environment, damage the Council’s reputation and contribute to global warming. This idea should remain buried with the coal.
Report abuse
The coal for British power stations over the next four years has to come from somewhere. To provide the electricity required for the country, coal power stations are not optional but essential to maintaining supply in the short term. Wind and wave power cannot fill the 40% of electricity provided by coal in the next four years, or possibly ever.
The coal for these power stations has to be sourced from somewhere. If it sourced from british coal mines it will produce less carbon dioxide in its production and transportation than coal sourced from Australia or Columbia, that has to travel half way across the globe to get to our power stations.
Report abuse