Any Questions puts spotlight on Wrekin coal plan

Controversial plans to mine 900,000 tonnes of coal in the shadow of The Wrekin came under the national spotlight on the BBC radio show Any Questions.

The weekly debate show, chaired by Jonathan Dimbleby, last night came from Little Wenlock village hall.

Questions from the audience were fielded by a guest panel featuring former Labour minister and veteran campaigner Tony Benn, author and journalist James Delingpole, former BBC chief political correspondent and then ITV political editor John Sergeant, and Ruth Lea, formerly director of the right wing think tank the Centre for Policy Studies and head of policy at the Institute of Directors.

UK Coal is to mine at a site at Huntington Lane, close to the venue for last night's debate, and the operation has sparked fierce opposition, protesters having set up a makeshift camp nearby.

The issue was raised on Any Questions by the clerk to Little Wenlock Parish Council, John Marcham, who asked if scarring the beautiful site by mining was too high a price to pay and whether nuclear fuel expansion should be pursued instead.

John Sergeant said the planned mine was "horrible", he felt very sorry for people in the area and he believed the operation should not be carried out. Mr Delingpole said it was right to push ahead with the expansion of nuclear power but, in the meantime, the use of fossil fuels was going to be the way forward.

Mr Benn said nuclear power was not safe but of the Huntington Lane plans he added: "I don't think things of this kind should be done without the consent of local people.

"I think that is an integral part of maintaining confidence in the political process."

Mr Marcham, in reply, said that despite a very strong opposition case put at a public inquiry into the mining plan the then minister John Denham had accepted the inspector's report and given the go ahead.

He said the former Labour government had never turned down an application from UK Coal to surface mine.