Banks Group praised for environmental excellence

County Durham-based Banks Group have been praised by The Coal Authority for their commitment to environmental excellence. The Authority has presented the company with two awards in recognition of environmental standards and community involvement at two surface mines in Northumberland.

The first award is for Pegswood Community Park, near Morpeth, phase one of which opened in October 2004 and includes wetlands, woodlands, acid grassland, a large fishing lake and a landform amphitheatre.

The second award is for Banks’ Delhi surface mine on the Blagdon Estate, near Stannington, where innovation in environmental control and the continual improvement of environmental standards are evident from the company’s relationships with local communities.

Banks were the first mining company in the UK to solely use acoustically insulated plant at two of their sites, one of these being Delhi. This, together with new dust-suppression controls and the provision of ‘white noise’ reversing systems on site, provides a better working environment for staff as well as minimizing the impact on local communities.

John Dickenson, Banks’ group development director, said: ‘We are delighted with the awards from The Coal Authority. It [The Authority] recognizes our commitment to ‘Development with Care’ and the work that is put into the design, operation and restoration of our sites. Our reputation is only as good as our last site and we work hard to ensure this reputation stays intact.’