WHITTONSTALL OPEN CAST COAL EXTRACTION
Report by Eric Lee
A Formal Scoping Report has been prepared for the third time for opencast coal extraction beside Whittonstall, two miles inside the boundary between Northumberland and Durham, north of Consett. Dere Street the ancient Roman road divides the hamlet from the site which, if it were permitted would be worked at a rate of 8000 tonnes per week over a period of about 6˝ years. Site preparation and final restoration would lead to a total period of working of 7˝ years, ten wagons leaving and ten returning every daylight hour.
The Villagers protest that the working will only be 200 metres from the Village School and Main Street and that the operation will create noise, dust, traffic and vibration on an industrial scale. They fear that the quality of life, health and property values will inevitably be affected.
The site – now called Hood’s Close – has been the subject of two previous applications in 1978 and 1984; both applications were rejected on Appeal.
The situation reminds me of the publication of Banns of Marriage in Church, “This is the third time of asking. If any of you knows just cause or impediment why these two persons should not lawfully be joined together, ye are to declare it”. Yes, we do know!
To start with the bride (i.e. the Village) is reluctant – and always was; indeed put up a splendid fight on the two previous occasions and shows every sign of doing the same this time. Then the bridegroom (UK Coal Mining Ltd) seems rather insensitive to the interests of the bride, proposing to surround the settlement with toil and distraction for seven years and then leave and look for new spoils elsewhere.
The Villagers have asked the Society for help and the County Committee will consider what appropriate support it can give. The previous applications for approval to work the site were refused on the grounds of the environmental impact created in a designated Area of Great Landscape Value. Nothing has changed to make the landscape less valuable or the community less resolved to defend its interests. It must be very frustrating to have to take up cudgels once more for the Third Time of Asking.
The contact for the Whittonstall Action Group is Paul Corney. Email:
City and County
February 2010
