Druridge Bay: Planning permission for environmentally unacceptable opencast coal mine rejected – Friends of the Earth reaction

Today’s decision by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick to refuse planning permission for a controversial opencast coal mine at Druridge Bay, has been welcomed by Friends of the Earth.  
 
In his Final Decision Letter Mr Jenrick found the proposal to be “not environmentally acceptable”.
 
Friends of the Earth climate campaigner Tony Bosworth said:  
 
“The rejection of planning permission for a destructive opencast coal mine at Druridge Bay is fantastic news for our environment, and a tremendous victory for local campaigners. 
 
“With the world staring at catastrophic climate change, this is the right decision.
 
“Coal mines must be consigned to the history books if we are going to avoid climate breakdown.  
 
“Let’s leave coal in the ground where it belongs, and invest in energy saving and renewable power to build the safe, clean and fairer future we so urgently need. 
 
“It’s time for Banks Mining to walk away from Druridge Bay and further legal challenges, and abandon plans for any more new mines.”  
 
ENDS 
 
For more information contact the Friends of the Earth press office on 020 7566 1649 / 07718 394786 (out of hours – please do not text this number) or by emailing media@foe.co.uk
 
1. Government decision.

2. Planning permission for an opencast coal at Druridge Bay was rejected in March 2018 by Mr Jenrick’s predecessor Sajid Javid on climate grounds. However, following a legal challenge from Banks Mining – which was opposed by Friends of the Earth and local campaign group Save Druridge as interested parties – the decision was quashed. The Court ruled the decision had not been properly explained, and the case was sent back to the government for a new decision to be taken.  

3. During the legal challenge Friends of the Earth was represented by Paul Brown QC, of Landmark Chambers 

4. If planning permission had been granted, approaching 3 million tonnes of coal, sandstone and fireclay could have been extracted.  

5. About Friends of the Earth: Friends of the Earth is an international community dedicated to the protection of the natural world and the wellbeing of everyone in it. We bring together more than two million people in 75 countries, combining people power all over the world to transform local actions into global impact. For more information visit: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/ follow us at @friends_earth, or like our Facebook page.