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Leave it in the Ground: open-cast coal mass trespass, 26th May

A new open cast coal mine site is about to get underway in beautiful Derbyshire unless we stop it now.

Lodge House site which is east of the village of Smalley and spans either side of Bell Lane, is one of seven that UK Coal is to open cast.

The area is about to be devastated, despite objections form local councils, residents and local environmental groups but the Secretary of State granted planning permission in 2007

The 122 hector site will have one million tonnes of coal ripped out over the 5 years and returned back to it’s natural state according to UK Coal, however residents fear there may be more to the plot, as they were excluded from parts of the planning meeting under grounds of commercial confidentiality.

UK Coal are one of those companies that looks to maximise their profits by raping the land and profiting from it any way they can, after coal extraction, they return the area to business parks, housing and industrial estates. In some cases they return it to farmland and charge the farmers rent or in low grade land grow energy crops according to there website. They are even into windpower, but as yet still not erected a turbine.

Coal is not clean energy and with the new onslaught of proposed power stations, UK Coal are looking to cash in on climate devastation and destruction unless we stop them.

The area is rich with wildlife and backs onto Shipley County Park some houses, (the sort of place you dream of living in) have been shuttered up and items like toys, dog kennels and other personal bits remain looking like something from a hurried evacuation from a war zone. UK Coal has stated that the site will be returned to farm land, but they are able to expand beyond the 122 hectors without needing further permission

To combat open cast mining a new action group “Leave it in the Ground” has formed, supported by Earth First! with an invite to a Picnic in the Park on 26th May for a mass trespass to see it before the destruction starts, meet the locals and have fun. So come and Discover Derbyshire!
Meet at the Visitors Centre, Shipley County Park of Slack Lane Heanor DE75 7GX at 12 noon on the 26th May

For more info phone 07852 460871 or email derby AT earthfirst.org.uk

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