Shotton Surface Mine
In total, over 8% of British coal output comes from the Shotton site. The mine produced over one million tonnes of coal in 2014 and employs around 150 people. These jobs are temporary, although when the mine closes some former employees may be transferred to Banks' new site at Highthorn, near Druridge Bay.
The land on which the mine was developed is owned by science writer and Conservative hereditary peer Matthew White Ridley, 5th Viscount Ridley, who is a prominent climate change sceptic. As a result, the site has been protested by the "Keep it in the Ground" fossil fuel divestment campaign, who picketed the site and halted operations for the day on 26 October 2015. Royalties from the site go to the Government, but the Blagdon Estate receives a way leave payment estimated at between three and four million pounds.
Over 1.5 million tonnes of waste material from the site was used to build the Northumberlandia sculpture on an adjoining site. Northumberlandia, which takes the form of a naked reclining female figure, was constructed as planning gain by the Banks Group to allow development of the Shotton site, and was opened as a public park in 2012.
References
- ^ "Banks Group pushes to expand extraction contract". The Journal. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ "Plans to recover additional coal from Shotton get the go-ahead". Minerals UK. January 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ "County approves surface-mine plans". Mineral Planning. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ Hannah Ellis-Petersen (26 October 2015). "Anti-coal protesters arrested after storming climate change sceptic's land". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ One of England's last coalmines to close near Durham, The Guardian
- ^ Tom Keighley (10 November 2014). "Banks Mining lift one million tonnes of coal from Shotton surface mine". The Journal. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ "Opencast mine plan unveiled". Northumberland Gazette. 18 July 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "Work begins on 'Goddess of the North' in Northumberland". BBC News website. 8 April 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
- ^ "Northumberlandia: The naked lady of Cramlington". BBC News. 1 September 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2016.