Coal giant maps out plan for mine

This map shows the two patches of land on the western edge of Telford under which lie millions of pounds worth of coal – just 100m away from the rural community of New Works.

Whether this coal should be mined is being thrashed out at a public inquiry before a planning inspector, with the final decision made by Communities Secretary Hazel Blears.

UK Coal wants to extract 900,000 tonnes of coal and 250,000 tonnes of brickmaking fireclay from fields and woodland off Huntington Lane, between New Works and Little Wenlock.

Telford & Wrekin Council claims the mine would cause years of misery because of noise, dust and vibration from blasting as well as harming precious countryside close to The Wrekin and Ercall beauty spots.

The inquiry, at Grays Hotel, Telford Town Centre, has been hearing for the past two days from Trevor Parkin, an engineer with consultant Entec UK, which has produced an environmental statement for UK Coal.

The statement, including this map, shows the proposed Huntington Lane surface mine site covering 93.5 hectares (231 acres) either side of New Works Wood.

It stretches from 200m south of the M54 to Huntington, with its boundary running 100m from the settlement at New Works, 600m from Lawley and 1km from Dawley and Horsehay.

The mining areas would be linked by a "haul road" for dumper trucks over historic mine workings, a sche- duled ancient monument. The road would be replaced when UK Coal's work finishes with a bridleway.

In a statement, UK Coal said: "Recovering coal from the 10 seams lying close to the surface would be a once and for all time scheme, with the coal extracted over a 32-month period and the site going 'green to green' in 41 months."

It said 92 jobs would be created, with six truck-loads leaving the site each hour by road, mostly destined for Ironbridge Power Station.

The statement said: "Coal today is used to generate ab- out 35 per cent of Britain's electricity. UK Coal produ- ces almost half of Britain's annual coal output of 18 million tonnes.

"But total UK output is only one third of the national annual consumption.

"Imports are transported from Russia, South Africa and Colombia – with Russia alone supplying more coal every year than is produced in the UK. These imports are costing Britain about £3 billion a year and thousands of jobs, often in areas of relatively high unemployme- nt." The inquiry continues.