Communities and organisations across the Country come together to fight disgraced Mining company
NO OPENCAST TODAY OR TOMMORROW
Location Plan
Existing Features
Site Plans
Restoration Plans
Introduction
UK Coal are seeking to get permission to opencast in the Pont Valley in order to extract thousands of tonnes of coal. This will result in the wholescale destruction of this beautiful area - resulting in something that looks like this: The purpose of the NOTT campaign is to unite the people of the Pont Valley villages who will suffer if this scheme goes ahead and say NO to UK Coal, inviting those that pass through to join with us. NOTT - No Opencast Today or Tomorrow NOTT is the 3rd campaign since 1986 to fight off opencasting in our area, specifically on this site. Although this has gone on for much longer with the original plans being submitted in 1972!! A public inquiry ruled in favour of the 1st campaign. Durham County Council rejected a further application to opencast this site in 2000 but ruled in favour of opencasting the Stony Heap site last year. Mineral extraction at this site is now complete. We fear that having been rebuffed in proposals to opencast other sites in or close to the Derwent Valley and having worked out Stony Heap, the next likely site to be proposed will be Bradley followed by the whole of Billingside. This will take us right back to where we were in 1986 and ruled against then by the Public Inspector. We are concerned that DDC have already sent a strong signal to potential opencasters by including the "Bradley" site as a possible site for mineral extraction in their Mineral Issues and Options Report, despite rejecting on application to opencast this exact site in 2000. We fear that if our campaign is unsuccessful, opencasting may soon spread even beyond Billingside. We share the Public Inspector's reasoning in support of his judgement and time has strengthened, not weakened, our case. We believe that we can present a strong and considered case against opencasting and seek to convince you of this in the pages of this website, not by emotional appeal but by gathering up and presenting accurate information to which any individual, organisation, activity or group from our immediate area and beyond can contribute. Application to DDC for GCN Ponds - 18 Nov 08 This is an application which should go before the Derwentside District Council before 1 Apr 09, for what it is: an application to do something positive with 1 hectare of the Pontburn Valley. Would this automatically be a bad thing because UK Coal propose it? No doubt its the thin end of the wedge but can we object simply because the ponds are an essential adjunct to their wider plans? A copy is held in the Dipton Community Centre. Please feel free to come have a read. We hope people gave this some deeper thought before writing letters of objection. This campaign has been well thought through and has been well fought. Objecting to this could be us missing an opportunity. UPDATE This applicaion was granted on ................................ and means as a group we can |
NOTT Campaign Update - 22 Aug 08
Lots of folks in yellow jackets with a bit of plant digging holes (or more accurately) trenches in sight of the main road during the past few ways. Find out more, let us know but we think it likely this is further evaluation/re-evaluation and soil sampling. May recall that these aspects, addressed in the Environmental Statement submitted on behalf of UK Coal were of concern to some of the statutory consultees and DCC will have sought clarrification from UK Coal's consultants. Can't be cheap and we wish we'd had the use of even one of these diggers during Hope 08 in Leadgate. Not too far away, four Red Kites, two adults and, we think, 2 juveniles, engaged in the same sort of behaviour observed in February/March i.e tumbling and diving into adjacent woodland. Highly unusual at this time of the year and normally associated with courtship and breeding. If anyone sees this behaviour in the same place, tell us with a comment on site. Closer to Leadgate (remarkably!) confirmed sitings of Red Squirrels and the deer fawns are doing well after the crossbow incident reported earlier. Some more wildlife is returning while wildlife, of the human kind, is at a seasonal low - save for the destruction of the Bishop's Throne behind Brooms church. To offset this, 3 salvaged stone/wood benches put in adjacent to the C2C through Leadgate, helped by some that might otherwise be doing the breaking in these long Summer holidays. Highly unlikely that UK Coal's application CMA/1/03 will see the light of day anytime soon, though public holidays around Chritmas and new year might present a temping prospect. These tactics are well established, even as far back as 1970-72 and an even earlier application, for which we now also have press cuttings covering that particular campaign. These will be added to the site along with an earlier Video converted to DVD and other photographs around the creation of the C2C and "The Maze" . What fun to sit on top of a "strategic reserve"! Imagine how much more time we might devote to our communities if not for this constant threat. DCC or whatever they may in future be called have a golden opportunity to undo some of the damage done in changing the framework documents earlier. Recreation The Pont Valley is used extensively for leisure pursuits such as hiking and rambling. This is an obvious recreational use and UK Coal may claim that their proposal will enhance access to the wooded valley in the longer term and opencasting stop short of the woods. They may even claim that the two existing rights of way across what are now open fields willl be temporarily diverted but will be restored, bigger and better, to join up with the Coast to Coast cycleway. But we believe from evidence of such schemes elsewhere and detailed studies that we include elsewhere on site, that great damage will be done in the short term and not only to ramblers. They, like we that live in communities around the Pont Burn Valley sharing it with our returning wildlife of all kinds, think that even temporary disruption has enormous knock-on consequences. Further we know that any damage done now will be disastrous and not only to ramblers. |
Letters to DCC Councillors
One or two people have asked about writing to DCC councillors in advance of the next step in the planning process, the formal committee meeting. This might be useful. The link above may be useful as a template for your personal letter. You will also find a list of current councillors through the DCC website. Hand-written is, apparently, preferable as it shows the effort is being made.
One or two people have asked about writing to DCC councillors in advance of the next step in the planning process, the formal committee meeting. This might be useful. The link above may be useful as a template for your personal letter. You will also find a list of current councillors through the DCC website. Hand-written is, apparently, preferable as it shows the effort is being made.