Updated plans for a proposed surface mine in south east Northumberland are set to go on public display at two exhibitions this week.

Regional firm Banks Mining is putting forward plans for the proposed Ferneybeds site, which is located to the south of the village of Widdrington Station, around eight miles north west of Ashington.

After undertaking an extensive public engagement programme across the area, Banks has now updated its proposed scheme design, and included a number of ideas provided by local people during a series of community workshops that the company hosted.

The locations of the access road and compound at the proposed site have been moved, and transportation plans have been changed to accommodate local views and to ensure that coal lorries do not use the Mile Road which runs into Widdrington Station.

The duration of the scheme has been reduced from five to three years as a result of changes to planned plant that Banks propose to use on site and further geotechnical investigation, and improvements have been made to the proposed screening of the site from the village.

The updated proposals will now be put on display at ATAC Community Hall on Mile Road in Widdrington Station between 3pm and 7pm on Tuesday 24 April, and between the same times on Wednesday 25 April at Linton Village Hall in Linton Colliery. (more…)

Updated plans for a proposed surface mine in south east Northumberland which have been developed in conjunction with a panel of local people have been revealed.

In early 2010, regional firm Banks Mining put forward initial plans for the proposed Ferneybeds site, which is located to the south of the village of Widdrington Station, around eight miles north west of Ashington, and initiated an extensive public engagement programme to ensure all interested parties could see and comment on the proposals. (more…)

A class of Cramlington primary school children have been learning their lessons in a 300-hectare ‘classroom’ after taking a tour of a local surface mine.

The 24 Year Five pupils from Beaconhill Primary School paid a visit to the Shotton site, which sits on the Blagdon Estate to the west of their home town, to find out more about how a modern surface mine works.

And one of the children, nine year-old Casey Hepple, became the 1,000^th visitor to the site that operators Banks Mining have hosted since they started work there in 2008. (more…)

The man responsible for leading Northumberland’s tourism drive has backed the positive impact that the world’s largest human landform sculpture will have on visitor numbers to England’s border county when it opens to the public.

Giles Ingram, chief executive of Northumberland Tourism, was speaking after taking a tour of the Northumberlandia landform and climbing to its highest point, which sits 34m from the ground.

The 400m long figure is now clearly visible from the roads, rail links and countryside that surround the site to the west of Cramlington, and landscaping work is scheduled to be finished later this year. (more…)

A north east surface mining company has been named by its peers as the best in the business.

Banks Mining, part of the Banks Group, was named Surface Miner Of The Year at the annual IHS McCloskey Coal UK conference in London, an award which is voted for by surface mining firms across the UK, as well as by their customers and suppliers.

(more…)

Up to 50 new jobs are set to be created over the next six months with the official start of work at a new West Lothian surface mine.

Banks Mining, part of The Banks Group, has commenced preparatory operations at the Rusha surface mine, which is situated around half a mile south-east of the village of Breich. (more…)

The quality, effectiveness and positive community impact of the landscaping of a former surface mine to the south-east of Leeds has been recognised in a prestigious architectural awards initiative. 

The landscape management work carried out by Banks Mining at the 200-hectare Moss Carr site between Methley and Rothwell has been named as the winner of the Landscape category at the annual Leeds Architectural Awards, beating off competition from five other projects from across the local area.  (more…)

A group set up to give local people a strong voice in the development of a proposed new surface mine proposed in south east Northumberland is gathering momentum right across the community.

Regional firm Banks Mining set up the Ferneybeds community design panel at the start of the year to ensure that local people have an active voice in the development of the company’s proposals for the scheme, which would be located to the south of the village of Widdrington Station, around four miles north west of Ashington. (more…)

People living in the communities surrounding a proposed new surface mine development in south east Northumberland are being urged to get involved with a group that has been set up to help shape its design.

Regional firm Banks Mining has set up a community design panel to ensure that local people have an active voice in the development of the company’s proposals for the Ferneybeds scheme, which would be located to the south of the village of Widdrington Station, around four miles north west of Ashington.

Eighteen people from across the area took part in the first panel meeting in March.  Topics discussed included the way in which the site would operate and priority issues that participants wanted to highlight. (more…)