Sunday 3rd of June was the deadline for Banks to trigger planning permission for the opencast site. On the 18th May, Banks announced that they had commenced work on site
The Campaign to Protect Pont Valley disputes this as the mining company hasn’t complied with the section 106 Agreement. Simone Rudolphi, from the campaign says “the s106 is a legally binding contract which states that work on site was not to start until completing the access road. The council claims section 106 is separate to the planning conditions, but this is mere game playing. Banks Mining are in breach of a contract with the Council.”
Durham County Council are the only authority that can hold Banks Mining to account for the breach of the s106 agreement. The Campaign to Protect Pont Valley say that they will continue to challenge the council’s inaction to make sure Banks Mining is held to account for this breach.
Tracy Gilman, local resident and campaigner, says “despite having claimed to have triggered the planning permit, Banks have repeatedly violated other planning conditions. There are unanswered questions about inadequate wildlife mitigation and consequent wildlife crimes, inadequate dust monitoring without a 12-month baseline and cumulative impact, that need to be investigated. Now it’s time to hold them to account for their failure to commence this project according to their planning constraints.
The campaign continues to demand that James Brokenshire, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, stop this opencast in line with the department’s decision to refuse Banks Mining planning permission at Druridge Bay. Banks say they have triggered planning permission, but this does not have a bearing on whether the Secretary of State can exercise his powers under the Town and Country Planning Act.
Air quality is a national issue. The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change say the UK coal phase-out could save 1,600 lives and reduce cause a reduction in lower respiratory symptoms by over one million cases a year. Clearly the sooner we stop using coal as an energy source better
Mike Terrison, from the campaign, says that “From the outset the mining company’s money has spoken louder than local people’s voices and so we have been driven to take actions into our own hands. Direct action has been effective in taking a defiant stand against Banks Mining and their intent to destroy the Pont Valley and push us to catastrophic climate change in their endless pursuit of profit. We stand with other communities that are affected by opencast mining or that are threatened by it, like at Druridge Bay.”
Photo credits: Kristian Buus