Private Members Bill to set light to a smouldering controversy

Steve Leary | 29.06.2010 20:01 | Climate Chaos | Energy Crisis | Sheffield

A Member of Parliament is about to introduce a Private Members Bill, which if successful, would significantly reduce the amount of opencast coal produced in England. It will also reduce impacts on local communities by bringing policies in England into line with those operating in Scotland and Wales by introducing the need for 500 metre Buffer zones between opencast sites and areas of settlement.

Minorca Opencast Protest Group PR 65

Many communities across England will be hoping that a new MP’s proposed Private Member’s Bill will become law in the current session of Parliament.
The Bill, the“Planning (Opencast Mining Separation Zones): Bill to require planning authorities to impose a minimum distance between opencast mining developments and residential properties; and for connected purposes” will be formally presented in the House of Commons tomorrow by Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire.

The bill will seek to bring English Planning Policy for Opencast Coal into line with the policies currently operating in Scotland and Wales, where planning guidance already includes a 500 metre buffer zone between opencast mines and areas of settlement. No such separation distance is mentioned in English Planning Guidance.

Communities across England who are situated on or near to shallow coalfields have become increasingly aware of the discrepancy in planning guidance as it currently exists and feel discriminated against. The issue was raised in the last Parliament twice by MPs representing Telford and Wrekin constituencies over the Huntington Lane application, and the Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) raised the same issue during the Leicestershire’s County Council elections last year over UK Coal’s Minorca Colliery Surface Mine application, which is occurring in the constituency which Andrew Bridgen MP represents.

Steve Leary for MOPG said

“Mr Bridgen’s action will bring a national focus to an issue that does not just affect people living in Leicestershire, but in many other counties in England. We know of groups in Northumberland, Co Durham, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire, Warwickshire and Telford and Wrekin who all face similar proposals, who will also be delighted that at last someone is going to take action to right an injustice that affects so many.”

To help people to understand some of the issues involved MOPG have prepared two sets of Briefing Notes to introduce people to the issues and arguments

.” Briefing Note 1: 500 Metre Buffer Zones” explains the origin of the 500 Metre Buffer Zone around Opencast / Surface Mines in the United Kingdom, firstly in Scotland and then in Wales. It then chronicles attempts made, so far unsuccessfully, to have a similar policy introduced in England.

“Briefing Note 2: Arguments in Favour of 500 Metre Buffer Zones” outlines arguments on why such a reform in planning law is necessary. They are both available from our web site at:

http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/mopg-briefing-notes-series.html

Notes.
1) To check that the Bill is to be introduced tomorrow see:

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmfbusi/a01.htm

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:
STEVE LEARY, SPOKESPERSON, MOPG
4 GREENFIELD ROAD, MEASHAM, SWADLINCOTE, DERBYSHIRE DE12 7LB, tel 05601 767981, email