CBI director general visits the coalface
RICHARD Lambert, director general of the CBI, visited the Banks Group’s Shotton opencast coal mine on the Blagdon Estate, Northumberland, recently as part of a tour of regional businesses.
The visit to Shotton – the north-east’s newest surface mine – was designed to show how modern coal mining methods can provide a valuable contribution towards meeting the UK’s energy requirements.
Accompanied by CBI regional director for the north east, Sarah Green, Mr Lambert toured the 300ha site to see how Banks deploy a range of technologies, including noise insulation and water sprays, on their mining plant to minimize its environmental impact.
The visit, which was hosted by Banks Group founder and chairman Harry Banks OBE, together with the company’s environment and community director, Mark Dowdall, also included a presentation about Banks’ work in developing new renewable energy and sustainable property schemes in the region.
Banks began operations at Shotton, near Seaton Burn, in May 2008 and the site now directly employs 110 workers and contributes around £12 million per annum to north-east suppliers.
The development will also include the creation of a new public park based around ‘Northumberlandia’, a unique human form sculpted into the landscape by world-renowned artist and designer Charles Jencks.
‘Banks Shotton site makes an important contribution to the region’s economy and along with our wind farm developments we aim to help the UK to be more self-sufficient in providing secure, sustainable energy supplies,’ commented Mark Dowdall.
‘Securing our future energy supply in a sustainable, economical and environmentally acceptable way will be a key challenge facing business leaders over the coming decades, but it also provides a major opportunity for employment and business growth for our region, something which the CBI is clearly aware of and very interested in.’
The visit to Shotton – the north-east’s newest surface mine – was designed to show how modern coal mining methods can provide a valuable contribution towards meeting the UK’s energy requirements.
Accompanied by CBI regional director for the north east, Sarah Green, Mr Lambert toured the 300ha site to see how Banks deploy a range of technologies, including noise insulation and water sprays, on their mining plant to minimize its environmental impact.
The visit, which was hosted by Banks Group founder and chairman Harry Banks OBE, together with the company’s environment and community director, Mark Dowdall, also included a presentation about Banks’ work in developing new renewable energy and sustainable property schemes in the region.
Banks began operations at Shotton, near Seaton Burn, in May 2008 and the site now directly employs 110 workers and contributes around £12 million per annum to north-east suppliers.
The development will also include the creation of a new public park based around ‘Northumberlandia’, a unique human form sculpted into the landscape by world-renowned artist and designer Charles Jencks.
‘Banks Shotton site makes an important contribution to the region’s economy and along with our wind farm developments we aim to help the UK to be more self-sufficient in providing secure, sustainable energy supplies,’ commented Mark Dowdall.
‘Securing our future energy supply in a sustainable, economical and environmentally acceptable way will be a key challenge facing business leaders over the coming decades, but it also provides a major opportunity for employment and business growth for our region, something which the CBI is clearly aware of and very interested in.’
