 | Council's deep disappointment at UK Coal decision |
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Telford & Wrekin Council has expressed its bitter disappointment at the decision by the Government to approve plans to mine coal from an opencast site near one of the region's best-known landmarks and beauty spots, the famous Wrekin hill.
The Council fought UK Coal's plans for open cast mining at Huntington Lane, near Little Wenlock, at a public inquiry earlier this year.
The authority represented that the proposals would harm a nationally important Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a new temporary road would have to be built over a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Other grounds for refusal presented by the Council focused on the level of noise breaching Government guidance and that the collective impact of opencast mining on local residents was cumulatively unacceptable.
The council also stressed that UK Coal's application was contrary to a number of planning policies and that there should normally be a presumption against opencast mining.
Council leader Councillor Andrew Eade said: "This is a totally crass decision. Telford & Wrekin Council has fought this tooth and nail and we are deeply disappointed on behalf of all the residents who will be affected by this.
"I find it hard to believe that the Secretary of State has taken this decision in view of all the powerful arguments that we put forward and we are urgently examining every aspect of the decision with our legal team."
Councillor Stephen Bentley, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: "We are bitterly disappointed by the Government's decision.
"We will now go through the decision with a fine toothcomb to review the Council's position to see if there are any further steps that we can take.
"We presented every available argument on planning grounds to block these plans at the inquiry. We need to make sure that we do our best to protect the area around the Wrekin from any future development."
7 October 2009
 
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