New surface mine proposal from Banks

Company begins public consultation over plans for new surface coal mine in south-east Northumberland 

BANKS Mining are beginning a lengthy public consultation on their initial proposals for a new surface mining project, called Highthorn, in south-east Northumberland that would sustain more than 150 local jobs for more than a decade.

The company already employs in excess of 200 people at its Shotton surface mine in south-east Northumberland and the Brenkley Lane surface mine in Newcastle, and currently contributes around £35 million to the local economy every year through wages and the local supply chain.

Highthorn, which would be located to the east of the village of Widdrington Station, inland from Druridge Bay, represents one of the best and largest remaining coal resources in England, and could provide the opportunity for the continuation of Banks’ long-term investment in the local economy as operations at Shotton and Brenkley Lane begin to reach completion towards the end of the decade.

Banks have already agreed to work closely with Northumberland Wildlife Trust and Northumberland Tourism on the project, to help ensure that opportunities to enhance the local environment and habitats, and to provide better facilities for visitors and tourists, are optimized.

The project could facilitate the long-term protection and improvement of the local environment by addressing existing issues caused by the poor restoration of the landscape after it was previously mined in the 1950s, and by building on recent ecological successes within the area, such as at Cresswell Ponds.

Katie Perkin, communications manager at The Banks Group, said: ‘We want the Highthorn site to set a new benchmark for modern minerals developments, delivering significant economic input alongside substantial benefits for the local community and wildlife alike, and our absolute priority is to design a scheme that delivers tangible, long-term local and regional economic, environmental and social benefits from day one of the project.

‘Having created the unique Northumberlandia visitor attraction at Cramlington as a direct result of working our Shotton surface mine, we are now keen to explore how we can make a positive contribution to the local economy, tourism and the environment, and what new community resources, services and facilities might result from our working of the Highthorn site.’

A planning application is not expected to be ready for submission until summer 2014 at the earliest.