The Petition Site: Anti-Open Cast Petition

Text of petition:

Thank you for taking the time to read this petition, especially as this matter is extremely urgent. On behalf of the residents of the village of Smalley and the surrounding villages in Derbyshire, we ask you to sign this petition to oppose the extraction of an additional 748,000 tonnes of coal from an extension to an existing opencast mine adjacent to the village, and to oppose the opening another opencast site on the other side of the village.

UK Coal, who owns the site, now wishes to expand it to within about 150 meters of the nearest houses in the village.  It is also close to a school, a nature reserve and a country park.  This will have a lasting impact on the local environment, as well as contributing to worldwide climate change.  A child born on the day the first scoop of earth was removed, will have been exposed to the impacts of pollution, traffic (120 vehicle movements per day), and noise, more or less to the end of primary school.

The community and Parish Council opposed the application to open the Lodge House site three years ago, but despite defeat at all levels of the planning process, the planners decision was overturned against government guidelines (MPG3) by the secretary of state, to great local dismay. 

Local opposition has been demonstrated in a poll of residents, and by the election of residents who have opposed the scheme to the Parish Council in May. The Borough Council also opposes the scheme.

Apart from noise, dust, traffic, and damage to climate, wild life and landscape, UK Coal appears to be in a fragile financial position. Residents are concerned that should the company fail, the site may never be reinstated.

Another mining company, LEM Resources, is now applying to open another open cast mine on the other side of the village at George Farm, so the village might be sandwiched between the two sites if these applications both succeed.

Please sign to help us to prevent more damage to the local and global environments arising from mining in this area, which has already had an enormous cumulative impact over a period of decades.