Leicestershire County Council has announced that a decision on whether UK Coal's application for an opencast mine on the Minorca site can go ahead will be made on Thursday 23rd June. The Minorca Opencast Protest Group in, PR 104, gives more information on this and what MOPG is planning to do to prevent this application from succeeding.

Our latest press release "Will UK Coal be able to afford to restore the Ashby Canal" (PR 75) and our revised Briefing Note on UK Coal plc's financial position (C1 UK Coal's Financial Situation and the Minorca Application, 2nd edition) also published today, points out that when a Company's Auditors qualify the Company's Accounts then this is a company in some financial trouble. UK Coal plc is in su…

The press release " The real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal to Measham" (PR 74) provides detailed information about the real cost of restoring the Ashby Canal to Measham in order to contradict the implied claim in the MACE poster that £2.5m will bring the Ashby Canal into the heart of Measham. It also includes an assessed 'carbon' if UK Coal's offer is accepted

The Minorca Opencast Protest Group is today launching a Public Appeal for people to object to UK coal's plans for an Opencast Mine on the Minorca site as our PR 73 " A Public Appeal for help to stop a new Opencast Mine Application from succeeding in The Heart of Englsnd" on Climate Change and Environmental grounds explains.

MOPG's 70th Press Release describes the contents of our Briefing Note "UK Coal plc and the Financial Risks Associated with the Minorca Application". This Note discuss the likely hood of financial risks arising from UK Coal gaining planning permission. The report argues that these risks arise as a consequence of the present financial circumstances UK Coal plc finds itself in, plus the possible co…

Our 68th Press Release highlights our latest Briefing Note 'The Lounge Issue and the Minorca Application'. It explains the contents of the Briefing Note and explains why it is set to be part of the Investigation into Opencast mining to be broadcast on the BBC Counrtyfile Programme on August 15th.

NEWS ON THE LATEST PUBLICATION FROM THE MINORCA OPENCAST PROTEST GROUP, ABRIUEFING NOTE ON "THE MINORCA aPPLICATION AND THE RIVER MEASE SAC.

The Press Release outlines why MOPG argue it puts The River Mease Special Area of conservation at risk

This contains news that John Craven and a Counrtyfile team visited the Measham area on 3/8/10 to investigate issues around opencast mining after choosing the Minorca application as a case example to show on the Countryfile Programme 

The Leicester Mercury has become the 1st Newspaper to endorse the need for a 500 meter Buffer Zone around Opencast Mines in England

A local campaign group is fighting UK Coal’s plans for an opencast mine near Measham in North West Leicestershire. The Minorca Opencast Protest Group (MOPG) oppose the company’s plans for a mile long mine and the extraction of 1.25m tonnes of coal over 4 1/2 years. UK Coal are already failing to meet requirements to restore a site in nearby Ashby de la Zouch to agricultural land and MOPG fear th…