Update: Campaigners barricade themselves into building in protest against open-cast mining
CAMPAIGNERS today barricaded themselves into a building on
the site of an open-cast mine in Smalley in a protest over
-
Campaigners on top of the building
plans to extract a million of tonnes of coal.
Members of the Leave It In The Ground group descended on
land owned by UK Coal in Bell Lane, Smalley, at about 2am this
morning.
Some of the activists got into a boarded-up farm building
while others took over a treehouse in a nearby tree.
UK Coal plans to extract one million tonnes of coal from the
301 acre site but the protestors claim this would devastate the
area.
Group member Julie, who did not want to give her second
name, said: “We are taking action to prevent a coal industry
bent on economic growth from destroying our future.”
The group claimed people inside the building had chained
themselves to the doors by their necks in a bid to prevent the
police from using force to get into the house.
Members said they had also taken food and supplies in with
them as they were planning a “long-term occupation”.
The group claimed 20 people were involved in the protest,
although only three could be seen today, occupying the roof of
the building. There were said to be two people from Ticknall
inside the building.
Hannah, 21, of Dorset, abseiled down from the building to
speak to the Evening Telegraph.
She said: “The main act of resistance will be when the
police try to move us.
“We have to raise awareness about the destruction of open
cast mining and if we do that then the protest has been a
success. We have got no other avenue of protest, we want to
give a voice to the people.
“I am sure there are people here who would be prepared to
lay down in front of the diggers. I have done it before and I
might do it again but it would depend on whether it would be
affective or not.”
Leave it in the Ground, is part of the Network for Climate
Action, and has been involved in previous protest including the
occupation of a coal train heading for Drax power station, in
Selby.
Leave it in the Ground’s Andy Green, from Little Eaton,
said: “We are here because the single greatest threat to the
climate comes from burning coal. Coal fired generation is
historically responsible for most of the CO2 in the air today -
about half of all carbon dioxide emissions globally.
“Coal from open cast mines is dirtier than that from deep
mines, so it is even worse.”
Leave It In the Ground claims it has planned a further
demonstration next month at UK Coal's headquarters in
Doncaster.
No police or representatives from UK Coal were at the scene
of the protest by noon today.
A UK Coal spokesman said: “We respect people’s right to
demonstrate but this scheme has gone through the full
democratic planning process, so the motives behind the protest
are questionable.”
19 Comments
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by Stan, Derbyshire
Thursday, June 19 2008, 11:11AM
“This government tries to impose democracy abroad while abusing the democratic process in Britain. Democracy is only allowed to function if it favours the government agenda (eg. on-off general election, denied EU referendum, bills bulldozed through parliament, enquiries via Freedom of Information Act blocked, rigged planning procedures). The interests of the rich and powerful, especially big corporations, are Gordon Brown's top priority. The plebs count for nothing.
The government's "green" policy is an excuse to raise more taxes. If any drastic green action is taken, it will only be detrimental to the mass of people who have no power.
Having lived for many years near open-cast mining (now thankfully gone), I can vouch for the disgusting mess created by the dust. I wonder how many UK Coal bosses live near an open-cast coal mine?”
by JOSEPH, mapperley village
Thursday, June 19 2008, 3:57AM
“Opencast mining has erased our local history, taking with it the landscape that defines our culture. The most valued areas of Shipley Park are the ones not opencast mined. Mapperley Reservoir is not the result of mining; in fact, effluent from the Whitehouse opencast site wrecked it in the early 1980s. Opencast companies lie about coal shortages. Yes, we have to import (from STABLE countries) because the pits were closed. UK Coal continues to close pits; opencast keeps its stockpiles full but the communities are wrecked, often becoming burnt-out drug dens. Then, the surrounding land is raped by opencast mining ¿ it¿s called ¿regeneration¿. At the Lodge House Public Inquiry, UK Coal made an argument for cheap, secure, opencast coal. Since being given permission, IT HAS PUT UP ITS PRICES TO MATCH IMPORTS. Its only interest is profit for directors and shareholders, then continuity of income from the land after mining. Wake up ¿ this won¿t be a few extra ponds and trees!”
by Cav, Stanley Common
Wednesday, June 18 2008, 11:44PM
“As a local resident, I will be sad to see the area destroyed by mining.
However, where will we be in a years time, when electricity prices have gone up +40%, more of our nuke plants are life expired, our gas supplies become more erratic, and France reduces electricity exports to us? In the dark probably.
Efforts to develop ¿green¿ electricity in the UK are also resisted; wind turbines are apparently noisy eyesores that decimate birds, the Severn Estuary tidal barrage has been lambasted, and I¿ll be amazed if a new nuke plant ever gets built.
So for the medium term, we don¿t seem to have much choice other than to utilise our indigenous fuel supplies.
Perhaps the focus of the Bell Lane protest should turn to ensuring that UK Coal commit to a significant improvement in the site remediation plans (more ponds, lakes, bridle ways, woods, meadows etc) once the work has been completed. After all Shipley Park and Mapperley Reservoir are the result of previous mining activities.”
by JOSEPH, mapperley village
Wednesday, June 18 2008, 3:40PM
“Coalfield areas suffered signficantly in the 2007 floods. A major contributory factor (well known) was the fact the "restored" opencast land does not drain; the water runs off. The previous opencast in this area decimated Mapperley Reservoir, and this will happen again. Ponds will silt up, the downstream watercourses will suffer, and the whole ecosystem risks collapse. As for opencast at Denby, the results are hardly a pretty site. Left alone, the old spoil heaps would have been better. Also remember this; UK Coal want another 500 acres of land for opencast around this site. UK Coal are even more property orientated than coal orientated. This land, once "restored" will be up for redevelopment despite the promises. This company has also already cut down "preserved" veteran trees on the site. Can't you see what is happening here? This protest is probably the last chance we have NOT to say goodbye to the last few green spaces we have. For pity's sake, support this fight.”
by Mr Bronson, belper
Wednesday, June 18 2008, 3:19PM
“large puddles is not flooding, unless the ice caps melt I don't think Heanor or Smalley will ever flood, OK maybe short sections of the road may puddle up because storm drains are blocked but that's hardly flooding. As much as I am against it, Heanor, Smalley and surrouding areas have been mined for centuries. An open cast mine between Smalley and Denby has recently been operating and has left little evidence of its existence. The country has got to get its power from somewhere.”