Once again there is the prospect of another huge open cast mine in the constituency; this time it is between Stocksfield and Whittonstall. I have met the one of the locals / lead protesters yesterday and got more of an understanding of the scale of the problem both from him and the visit I did on thursday. This is a decision ultimately for Northumberland Unitary Council, which is run by the liberals
The papers have reported it in full.
The village is beautiful with a school one side of the road and a pub on the other - I could not make the public meeting last week but the villagers clearly do not want a mine on their doorstep - with everything that it involves.
The Halton Lea Gate open cast mine [see earlier posts in the winter of 2008 and spring 2009] will be up for a decision this winter ... which should give us an understanding of what the liberal council's view is of this sort of issue - as they now have two such applications to deal with in short succession.
