An opencast coal mine is set to open in County Durham, UK. We are fundraising for the cost of legal support to help the community to challenge the decision to open this mine.

What’s happening?

A mining company, Banks Group, has bought a coal mining site, ‘Bradley’ near to Dipton and Leadgate in Country Durham. In January 2018 it declared its intention to start an open cast coal mine there this spring. 

After fighting to protect this site for 50 years, there is no local democratic route by which the community can object, and so we are seeking legal advice to appeal to the Secretary of State. 

Why do we need to act?

Opencast mining has long-term impacts on local community health and ecosystems. While this mine will only operate 2-3 years, the impacts will be irreversible. This will affect hundreds of local people and will only provide up to 30 jobs (which usually do not go to people in the local area). 

In our work with communities across the UK who have lived near to opencast mines, we know that opencast coal mining causes significant damage to local health through dust and diesel, can cause irreversible damage to nearby homes, and permanently affects local ecosystems.

What locals say

“For 50 years we have battled to save the Derwent valley, against ten appeals by mining companies,which were dismissed as each inspector said the environment is more important than the need for coal, even during miners strike and the oil crisis in the 70s.” 

 - Pitch Wilson, local resident and Secretary of a community group called ‘Derwent Valley Protection Society’

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“The return offered by Banks will not come close to balancing the lasting damage that will be done here. Their desire to extract 550,000 tonnes of coal is driven by nothing more than profit and not at all by a genuine need for energy. We have moved onto other forms of cleaner energy for the good of our global climate. So why is it worth harming the local wildlife and the local economy for one last money grab?” 

- Thomas Davidson, local resident

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“I am a frequent visitor to the area. I have seen my grandchildren grow up here and we did, and continue to, enjoy the open countryside and wildlife here. This site must be preserved for present and future generations.”

-Joan Baker

What will we do?

We are writing to Secretary of State for Communities, Sajid Javid to urge him to stop the mine.  

Under the Town and Country Planning act, 1990, the Secretary of State can revoke planning permission. See section 97and section 100of the Act. 

As an international ‘leader’ of the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’, the UK government cannot allow another opencast coal mine to open in the UK. 

Why do we need the money?

To secure the services of a solicitor and a barrister to inform our approach to the Secretary of State. This will give the letter the best chance of success.

Who are we?

The signatories of the letter to the Secretary of State include the local Pont Valley Network, the Derwent Valley Protection Society, Burnopfield Environmental Awareness Movement, 25 local residents and business-owners, plus Coal Action Network.

This fundraising page was set up by the Coal Action Network which is a grassroots campaigning organisation which works to end opencast coal mining and burning coal for electricity in the UK. We do this by working in solidarity with communities affected by opencast coal mining and pollution, both in the UK and internationally towards a just end to coal now.

Coal Action Network has been working with this community since 2009, and spoke at planning inquiries when UK Coal planned to mine at the same site.

Please support the local residents of Dipton and Leadgate, Country Durham in the final push in a long struggle to kick out coal.