Coal group to press ahead

UK Coal today confirmed it is pressing ahead with plans to mine 900,000 tonnes of coal in Telford - despite strong opposition from the community.

Residents say the scheme at New Works, near the foot of The Wrekin, would ruin the countryside and disturb them.

Wrekin's MP Mark Pritchard and Alison Wedgwood, prospective Labour parliamentary candidate for the area, have opposed it.

But Stuart Oliver, company spokesman, said they still intended to put a planning application in to Telford & Wrekin Council within the next two months.

Initial proposals said the opencast mining would take place over four years at sites off New Works Lane and Huntington Lane. However, Mr Stuart said proposals had been amended to take account of concerns.

Mr Oliver said: "We are at an advanced stage of processing the planning application. It will be submitted in the next couple of months. The scheme has been revised in several ways to reflect some of the comments made by the public."

He said he could not yet give specifics but that the changes involved "the method of working and site operation".

About 200 people turned out for a public exhibition of plans in March. Many were concerned about noise, dust, dirt and traffic. And hundreds have signed Mr Pritchard's petition at www.markpritchard.com/petition against the mine.

UK Coal has said mining was not as bad as some believed: "There is a perception this plan will be like mining 40 years ago, with dust and noise.

"Surface mining is not like that, it is far quieter."