Banks Mining looking to operate Bradley surface mine

Company working to secure the land rights required to operate new surface coal mine in Co. Durham

DOZENS of new jobs could be created in Co. Durham later this year after Banks Mining revealed they are working towards securing the land rights required to operate the Bradley surface mine in the north-west of the county.

Permission to extract around 500,000 tonnes of coal from the site was granted to UK Coal a number of years ago, and Banks Mining are now looking at the logistical requirements of initiating this project.

Over the last few months the family-owned firm has been conducting a range of desk and site-based tests to confirm the presence, location and details of the coal within the 71-hectare site, which sits off the A692 between Leadgate and Dipton.

Banks Mining anticipate that work to create a new access road on to the A692 will commence in spring this year, with the start of mining operations following soon afterwards.

These operations would be scheduled to run for between two and three years with all activity on site complete in 2021. Restoration plans include the creation of a new nature reserve and parkland area, as well as the return of some of the land to agricultural use.

Around 30 new jobs would be supported at the Bradley site, along with others in the local supply chain, and a related community benefits fund would be created that would be available to support local projects and initiatives.

Banks Mining are now in the process of setting up a project liaison committee to provide a forum in which information on all aspects of the project can be shared between the company and the local community.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: ‘Taking on the existing planning approval for the Bradley surface mine has been identified as one of a number of different options for how we can meet our continuing high customer demand for coal, and while we are still only at an early stage with this project, we wanted to update local people about what will be happening on and around the site in the coming months.

‘As with all our projects, we will ensure local people, businesses and community groups are fully informed of our plans, and of the economic, employment, supply chain, environmental and social benefits that we would look to deliver as part of them.

‘The project liaison committee will provide a vital link between our project team and the community, and we’re keen to hear from local people who are interested in being part of it.’

Gavin Styles, executive director at Banks Mining, added: ‘Government projections state that coal will continue to be an important part of the UK’s energy mix for at least the medium term, and while the country develops a range of alternative ways to generate power, reliable, high-quality, locally supplied coal will provide a vital bridge to the low-carbon economy, as well as raw materials for the industrial sector.’