Dewley Hill surface mine plans set to move forward
Partnership project between Banks Mining and Ibstock Brick to submit surface mine planning application
PLANS for a new surface mine on the border between Newcastle and Northumberland which would support up to 50 jobs are set to move forward.
A planning application for the Dewley Hill surface mine, which would be located on agricultural land to the north of the A69’s Throckley junction and to the east of the B6326 Ponteland Road, is expected to be submitted to Newcastle City Council in the coming weeks.
The project is being progressed as a partnership between Banks Mining and Ibstock Brick, the owners of the Throckley Brickworks, which is around half a mile from the Dewley Hill site.
The scheme would run for a limited period of three-and-a-half years from the start of operations to the completion of restoration.
Around 800,000 tonnes of high-quality coal would be extracted from the site, most of which would be used for industrial purposes such as the production of steel and cement, as well as 400,000 tonnes of fireclay, which will be used in the manufacturing of bricks at the local brickworks.
Jeannie Kielty, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: ‘Fireclay is an essential component of the brick-making process, but is only found immediately beneath coal seams and therefore can only be accessed when extracting the coal seams which lie above it.
‘This vitally important mineral is in very short supply in the UK and Dewley Hill will provide much needed future fireclay supply for the Throckley Brickworks, which will not only help protect North East jobs, but will also assist the national drive to build more homes across the UK.
‘The Dewley Hill site has the potential to support up to 50 highly skilled, well-paid jobs, as well as to open up substantial new opportunities for local suppliers and extend our long-term record of investing in the communities in which we operate.’
Nick Spence, planning and estates manager for the North at Ibstock Brick, added: ‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with Banks Mining on this application project, as not only is this a joint mining programme that will deliver the raw materials we need, but it’s a joint ethos.
‘Our approach to sustainable working is culturally aligned to Banks’ development with care approach, which places high value on community engagement and support and care for the environment.’
