Vipers
Brunswick Birder
Yes I got handed a leaflet about this at Druridge Pools today. Which I believe is a site created from open cast.
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Mining application for open cast mining at Druridge Bay (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter IAN JAMES THOMPSON
- Start date
Yes I got handed a leaflet about this at Druridge Pools today. Which I believe is a site created from open cast.
Yes, yes it is...
Most of the area is old opencast, this natural, unspoiled area...With the old brickworks and the old landfill and the rest...
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
Sorry to post in this thread after such a while since this thread started, but on the RSPB website it's just been announced that the RSPB is going to oppose the mining application for open cast mining at Druridge Bay because of the effect it will have on climate change, in the public enquiery. About time as well. But thank goodness the RSPB are against this.
Ian.
Ian.
Last edited:
_pauls
Well-known member
I have no objection about people complaining about the effect of burning the coal that will be extracted on global warming, its just the hypocrisy of people complaining that it will ruin the area where the coal will be mined that I find very misguided.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
I understand where you're coming from, and there have been genuine gains like Druridge Pools - but there have also been substantial environment and biodiversity losses caused by the mining, that have not been replaced, either because they are not replaceable, or through lack of imagination in the restoration process. Ancient trees (with their nest holes for birds) are not replaced in a day or two after mining restoration; nor are the little stream gullies with vertical sandbank sides suitable for Kingfishers to nest in. The landscape produced by reclamation is too uniform, without any micro-habitats, and with heavily compacted, badly draining clay soils which only support very poor tree growth and very limited floral diversity, and are monotonously similar across the whole area. Squelchy wet most of the year, but turning rock-hard in dry summers. All the watercourses in the restored area are canalised with uniformly graded banks, and with constant gradient; no riffles, waterfalls, little pools, meanders, etc., etc. It's boring, and drab. And will always be limited in what it attracts. Where are the Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers going to breed? Where are the dry acidic sandy heaths that could attract Nightjars, and also Dartford Warblers in a warming world? Where are the open scrubby grasslands with scattered mature trees? All I see is barren overgrazed fields and solid block shelterbelts.
woodhornbirder
Well-known member
`Where are the Redstarts and Pied Flycatchers going to breed? `
they breed along the coast in northumberland? never heard one singing east of morpeth.
dartford warblers in northumberland, an interesting notion. cant see it though tbh. nuclear winter is more likely than that happening.
they breed along the coast in northumberland? never heard one singing east of morpeth.
dartford warblers in northumberland, an interesting notion. cant see it though tbh. nuclear winter is more likely than that happening.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Redstarts certainly used to in Northumbs (see e.g Hancock's 19th century info), and still do in coastal areas in southeast UK (e.g. woods near Minsmere) - it is lack of habitat, not climatic requirements. Pied Fly, possibly not, but again, they do breed close to the North Sea in coastal lowlands on the other side of the North Sea (Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Norway).
But little of that is relevant here, where the mining is being proposed: there isn't any ancient woodland; there isn't any heathland of the sort nightjars and Dartfords like; there aren't any redstarts or pied flycatchers, except on passage; local soil, being above coal measures sandstone, is pretty cruddy at the best of times.
Some of the most diverse patches are the likes of the old landfill, which supports at least 5 species of breeding warbler, yellowhammers, reed buntings, as well as all the local usual suspects, and a decent plant population. The old brickworks is becoming more interesting as it decays also. The grazed fields on old opencast support quite a variety of wildlife - breeding curlews anyone? Several species of Dactylorhiza orchids? Buzzards and barn owls supported by the rabbit and vole population. Hares, roe deer, foxes, stoats and weasels all seen frequently. It isn't all bad.
Reclaimed land can be made to look however one wants it to. The main snag is no-one employs decent landscape architects, mostly because they don't come cheap (yes, I do have several friends who are landscape architects, any of whom could make a diverse landscape out of reclaimed mining land if someone paid them to).
Please note that I remain agnostic about the mining proposal, partly because it is right on my door step, partly on broader environmental grounds, but a lot of the local opposition annoy me intensely with their hypocrisy and ignorance, as well as their espousal of much more damaging local proposals (Blue Sky Forest ring any bells? Or any of the other mega-tourist site suggestions?).
_pauls
Well-known member
The other week I visited the recently "reclaimed" area between Brenkley and Horton Grange and while its still very immature it looks promising with a variety of environments - flat boggy meadows, a large dry scrubby area at the top where lapwings and oystercatchers seemed quite at home, hedgerows, small and larger ponds, rivulets and channels and areas of sapling plantation. A lot more diverse than what I imagine was there before (the opencast mine pre-dates my arrival in the area but I'd imagine it was a large tract of flat open farmland like most of the area).
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
Good news the mining application at Druridge Bay has been refused by the Secretary of State after appeal. Details on the RSPB website.
Ian.
Ian.
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
There’s also news about the decision on Druridge Bay in the environmental section of the Guardian.
Ian.
Unless this decision sets off another bout of the huge tourist development proposals on the old opencast sites just to the west of Widdrington...All the previous ones (Blue Sky Forest - anyone else remember that one?) would have been at least as damaging to the local environment as the Highthorn opencast proposal.
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
There is a possibility that the mining company could appeal the Secretary Of States decision on Druridge Bay at the high court.
Ian.
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
The appeal for Druridge Bay goes ahead today and possibly tomorrow on whether open cast mining will be allowed at Druridge Bay.
Ian.
Ian.
Barred Wobbler
Well-known member
And good luck to Banks.
They should never have been refused.
The application met all the criteria, but was turned down even in the face of the approval of Her Majestie's Inspector at the Public Inquiry, after already being granted unanimous permission by the planning authority. If not for the unreasonable delays the site would be two years closer to completion by now, dozens of men would be employed and many of the environmental imrovements promised would already have been in place.
IAN JAMES THOMPSON
Well-known member
I hope Banks loses.
Ian.
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Coal needs to stay in the ground - see recent IPCC report :t:
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