Climate protest against mine plan

Residents fear the development would be detrimental to the wildlife reserve

Climate campaigners have staged a protest calling on Leeds council to refuse plans to develop an opencast mine near a wildlife reserve.

Banks Development want to create the mine which would extract more than a million tonnes of coal from land near Fairburn Ings near Castleford.

Residents have set up a protest group, Yorkshire Against New Coal (YANC).

Chris Mackins from YANC said: "Our message to the council is simple - say no to new coal developments."

The protest was held outside Leeds Civic Hall.

We're here today to tell the council they have an anti-coal group on their doorstep and we will not be going away Campaigner Chris Mackins

Those living locally fear the mine, planned for Newton Lane, will ruin the landscape and could be detrimental to the Fairburn Ings RSPB reserve.

Mr Mackins added: "Coal-generated electricity has the highest carbon dioxide emissions.

"If we are to tackle climate change and meet UK carbon emission reduction targets, we have to say no to new coal developments.

"There are alternatives. We need renewable technology - wind, wave power, tidal power and solar power.

"We're here today to tell the council they have an anti-coal group on their doorstep and we will not be going away."

Mark Dowdall, Environment and Community Director at The Banks Group, said: "We agree with YANC in recognising the increasing need for producing energy from renewable sources.

"We are developing a number of wind farm projects across the UK, including one at Hook Moor near Garforth and five other sites in Yorkshire, with this end in mind.

"However, the reality of the situation is that coal will still be a key component of the UK's 'energy mix' for the foreseeable future, and Yorkshire's Aire Valley power stations will continue to burn coal for many years to come.

"A great deal of work went into enhancing our Newton Lane proposals in response to feedback we received from public consultation exercises.

"Our track record in the surface mining industry makes us very confident that this mine would be worked in an environmentally acceptable way."

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council said the application was being considered.