[IMC-UK-Features] [Imc-uk-contact] feature suggestion - Derbyshire open-cast?

[manchester at climatecamp.org.uk]

As suggested by ekes, a feature below.  Sorry it's not great, but
hopefully it won't be too difficult to turn into something proper, and
it's deemed worthy of a feature.  Thanks, love & rage




A good week stopping open-cast coal mining in Derbyshire

Abstract -

The long-running campaign against Lodge House open-cast coal mine, near
Shipley in Derbyshire hit a peak the other week, with 3 independent
actions in the same week.

Local action groups, dispirited after central government overruled the
local planning refusal of permission, have started getting active again. 
This follows Earth First!'s Leave it in the Ground campaign earlier in the
summer - a mass trespass followed by two noise demos outside UK Coal's
Yorkshire HQ, plus the squatting of the farm house.  Bodge House was
finally evicted - during the Camp for Climate Action - though it took the
forces of darkness 9 days.

More recently there was another Picnic in the Park trespass, a handful of
EF!ers stopped work one afternoon, and locals held a demo at the entrance
to the site.

<a href="http://earthfirst.org.uk/leaveitintheground">Leave it in the
Ground EF! campaign</a> | <a
href="http://leaveitintheground.wordpress.com/"Derby EF! campaign blog</a>
| <a href="www.eavengreen.wordpress.com ">Local action group</a> | <a
href="http://leaveitintheground.org.uk">Coal Action Network</a>

<a href="http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no7/23-32.html ">UK protests
against open-cast background</a> | <a
href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399710.html">Picnic in the
Park</a> | <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/06/400722.html">June
UK Coal noise demo</a> | <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/sheffield/2008/07/403437.html">July
UK Coal noise demo</a> | Bodge House <a
href="https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/06/401445.html">occupied</a> &
evicted | <a
href="http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/10/411269.html">Picnic
in the Park the sequel</a> | <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411752.html">EF! digger-diving
protest</a> | <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412127.html">Local demo</a>



Picture -

the third one down (banner by side of digger) at
https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411752.html


Body -

On Saturday the 25th October 2008, trespassers made their way onto UK
Coal's Lodge House site in Derbyshire to have a <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411671.html">picnic.  The police
& security were out in force, taking many snaps of the happy occasion, and
trying to intimidate people with a fancy but empty legal blag!  There was
a little tussle with the Veggies trailer, just for old time's sake, and
fun was had by all.

On Monday 27th October 2008, protestors from Earth First! <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411752.html">stopped work</a>
for over two hours – they ran onto the site and clambered on diggers &
dumpers and held out banners stopping the work safely.  Just a couple of
handfuls of people were involved, so you can plan a fun day out yourselves
in similar fashion.   The same day, one of the cases resulting from the
eviction of the squatted farm house was <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411758.html">thrown out of
court</a>.

And the following Saturday over 40 local residents braved rain and cold
winds to <a
href="https://indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/11/412127.html">protest</a> at the
main entrance to the site.

<strong>Some background: </strong>

Lodge House site, which is east of the village of the Derbyshire village
of Smalley, is one of seven sites that UK Coal is to open-cast. The area
is rich with wildlife and backs onto Shipley Country Park. It is being
devastated, despite objections from local councils, residents and local
environmental groups. The Secretary of State granted planning permission
in 2007 and work has commenced.

<strong>More destruction to come?</strong>
The 122 hectare site will have one million tonnes of coal ripped out over
five years and 'returned back to its natural state' according to UK Coal.
However, they will not be able to replace ancient edges and mature trees,
and they will be able to expand beyond the 122 hectares without needing
further permission. Residents were excluded from parts of the planning
meeting on grounds of commercial confidentiality, which suggests that the
plans may be bigger than UK Coal is letting on.

<strong>A dirty fuel, a changing climate</strong>
Coal is not clean energy, and with the new onslaught of proposed power
stations, UK Coal are looking to cash in on climate devastation and
destruction unless we stop them. Burning coal to produce electricity is
threatening the global environment and all our futures..

To combat open-cast mining, a new action group "Leave it in the Ground"
has formed, supported by Earth First! and other environmental groups.

If you can’t make the demo then you could contact UK Coal directly to let
them know what you think: UK Coal Tel: 01302 751751 Fax: 01302 752420.