East Midlands – Page 4

actions against E-On in Nottingham

15.02.2013

Last night the doors to the Nottingham E-on Open House on Lister Gate were d-locked shut in solidarity with anyone struggling to stay warm this winter.

15.02.2013

Last night the doors to the Nottingham E-on Open House on Lister Gate were d-locked shut in solidarity with anyone struggling to stay warm this winter.

Eon and their partners in crime are not only destroying the planet as they extract every last inch of natural resources from the ground, they're also doing their best to fleece each and everyone of us as they raise the prices year in year out. What we did last night was a minor act. Carried out by individuals who are disgusted with the ways in which the corporate power and greed which goes hand in hand with this system. It is destroying the planet, human beings and every living thing. We must fight back.

Update: I work across the road from the open house. It had to open two hours later than usual.

——-

Stop G8 Notts hit the streets of Nottingham yesterday distributing a leaflet that made connecting the everyday reality of poverty in the city, where people are forced to choose between eating or staying warm to the capitalist spectacle of the G8 summit taking place later this year.

Individuals were receptive to the message although many people didn't view themselves as empowered to do anything about the current situation. This re-enforced the importance of us being on the streets talking and engaging with as many people as we can, talking about the problems, their causes and how we can tackle them on micro and macro levels.

Starving to Sttay Warm

Fuel poverty protest against E.on.

Eon and the other five big energy companies (EDF, Centrica, SSE, Scottish Power and npower) are a cartel which controls 99% of the domestic energy market. Domestic energy prices for us are constantly rising whilst every year these companies declare record profits.

According to a recent survey, this winter 1 in 4 families have had to face a stark choice between heating and eating. Whilst e.on executives and shareholders spend bumper profits on second homes and holidays
abroad, people in the UK are freezing because they need to eat.

We are starving to stay warm!

On June the 17th and 18th the G8 world leaders will be meeting in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, to discuss how to maintain the capitalist system which enables and justifies this daylight robbery. While we allow our lives to be governed by these crooks profit will always come before people. The only way to achieve real change is to break from this vicious cycle of exploitation, smash capitalism and reorganise our communities in a way which ensures everyone has access to the necessities of life.

From the 10th of June there will be a week of action, workshops and meetings in London to protest against the G8 and to work towards building the sort of world that we want to live in

stopg8notts@riseup.net

The Clause 21 Growth and Infrastructure Bill Threat: More Info

THE LOOSE ANTI OPENCAST NETWORK

IF THE GOVERNMENT GETS ITS WAY, ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE MORE ‘MOTHBALLED’ OPENCAST SITES POCK-MARKING OUR COUNTRYSIDE?

THE LOOSE ANTI OPENCAST NETWORK

IF THE GOVERNMENT GETS ITS WAY, ARE WE LIKELY TO SEE MORE ‘MOTHBALLED’ OPENCAST SITES POCK-MARKING OUR COUNTRYSIDE?

LAON PR 2012- 16 1/12/12

The hidden topic so far, in all the discussion about the Energy Bill is what will be its impact on the UK Coal Industry. This is a much shrunken industry, producing around 18m tonnes of coal a year. Last year 59% of that coal was produced by opencast methods. This year, as the deep mining sector continues to suffer from problems and cost pressures are closing mines (on a temporary basis) at Maltby and Aperpergwm and Daw Mill, our largest pit is almost certain to close, domestic coal production is becoming ever more reliant on surface mining – in the July to September quarter, of the 4m tonnes of coal the UK produced, 65% now came from surface mines.

But even the surface mine sector of the coal industry is not immune to the cold winds of economic realism coming from across the Atlantic, as US coal producers, desperate to find a market for their coal now that it can no longer compete with gas in the US domestic market because of the ‘fracking revolution’, send shiploads of coal to Europe at prices that make UK coal production uncompetitive. As a consequence, ATH Resources, a major surface mine operator has put itself up for sale and stopped development work on its new sites and Scottish Coal has asked its workforce to take a 10% pay cut and mothballed its large Blair House opencast site in Scotland indefinably. It’s just left it as large hole.

Furthermore, the Energy Bill, introduced into Parliament this week is intending to create a low carbon generating system which is design to squeeze out coal from being part of the fuel mix unless Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) prove itself to be commercially viable. The Bill will provide for financial disincentives to make it more costly to burn coal in power stations without CCS, whilst, at the same time, provide financial incentives for existing coal fired power stations to be fully converted to burn biomass. The result is that Coal Operators in the UK are for the foreseeable future likely to see their market for coal shrinking dramatically.

All that may sound good to you, if you worry about protecting the countryside from being treated as one large coal bunker, or you are concerned about climate change.

Except it is not all good news. The expected decline in the use of coal for power generation purposes is going to take years to achieve. In the meantime, we may be starting to witness an increase in planning applications for new opencast mines across the UK, as Coal Operators realise that they must try to cash in on the investments they have already made before the coal market dries up.

This month LAON can report, in its 7^th Review of Opencast Sites available here:

https://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/3309

that two new proposals have been made recently, one for a new 10m tonne site called Cauldhall, near Rosewell in Midlothian (ironically by Scottish Coal) and the other at the Deanfield site for 1.18m tonnes at Sharleston near Wakefield, where UK Coal, another coal company which nearly went into administration this year, intends to surface mine. As a consequence, The Stop Opencast in Sharlston (SOS) group has joined the Network

That is not the only bad news about the surface mining of coal in England. The Government is proposing, through the Growth and Infrastructure Bill (Clause 21), to make it easier to dig up coal in England, just when they are planning to reduce the role coal plays in producing electricity through the Energy Bill. This clause of the Bill is likely to be debated by the Growth and Infrastructure Public Bill Committee, along with our evidence, on Tuesday 4^th December.

LAON’s concern about these policy changes is this. Given the economic difficulties that the UK Coal Industry finds itself in, is this the right time to be changing the planning system to make it easier for Coal Operators to get permission for new opencast mines? This is increasing the risk that many more opencast sites are left ‘mothballed’ and pock-marking our country-side if UK Coal Producers find that they are increasingly priced out of their own declining domestic market. In our view, this is not the time to relax planning controls at all for new surface mines in England

We are hoping that the Government realises the inconsistencies in its current policy proposals and whilst it continues with its plans to decarbonise the generating sector, it revises its plans and not allow any plans to surface mine coal in England to be treated as a Major Infrastructure Project.

A referenced version of this press release is available by contacting LAON at the email address below.

About LAON

The Loose Anti-Opencast Network (LAON) has been in existence since 2009. It functions as a medium through which to oppose open cast mine applications. At present LAON links individuals and groups in N Ireland (Just Say No to Lignite), Scotland (Coal Action Scotland), Wales (Green Valleys Alliance, The Merthyr Tydfil Anti Opencast Campaign), England, (Coal Action Network), Northumberland, (Whittonstall Action Group, Halton Lea Gate Residents)) Co Durham (Pont Valley Network), Leeds, Sheffield (Cowley Residents Action Group), Kirklees, (Skelmansthorpe Action Group) Nottinghamshire (Shortwood Farm Opencast Opposition), Derbyshire (West Hallum Environment Group, Smalley Action Group and Hilltop Action Group) , Leicestershire (Minorca Opencast Protest Group), Wakefield (Stop Opencast in Sharlston) and Walsall (Alumwell Action Group).

Contacting LAON

Steve Leary LAON’Ss Co-ordinator, at infoatlaon@yahoo.com

You can now follow LAON on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Seftonchase

WAKE UP CALL TO PROTECT THE COUNTRYSIDE FROM NEW PLANNING LEGISLATION

THE LOOSE ANTI OPEN-CAST NETWORK

WAKE-UP CALL TO PROTECT THE COUNRTYSIDE FROM LARGE SCALE MINERAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUED BY CAMPAIGN GROUP

THE LOOSE ANTI OPEN-CAST NETWORK

WAKE-UP CALL TO PROTECT THE COUNRTYSIDE FROM LARGE SCALE MINERAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUED BY CAMPAIGN GROUP

PR 2012 -15 28/1/12

Does a company want to dig a big hole near you? Is it interested in trying to extract sand, clay. gravel, stone or coal? If it is, and the site is going to be more than 100 hectares, then why not suggest to the owner that they can sidestep going to the Local Authority and have the planning application considered by a new ‘fast- track’ method. Label it a ‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project’ and it can then be decided on, in a year, by a Planning Inspector who, unlike local people and locally elected representatives, will not know the site, will not be affected and will not know you.

Far- fetched ideas? Unfortunately not. These ideas are part of the proposals in the Government’s Growth and Infrastructure Bill now before Parliament. It will enable secondary legislation to be passed that, in its present form , will allow an applicant to by-pass the local democratic decision making process and have their application treated as a Major Infrastructure Project. The Government have initiated a public consultation process on the proposal entitled ‘Nationally significant infrastructure planning: extending the regime to business and commercial projects: consultation’ which can be downloaded from here.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/nationally-significant-infrastructure-planning-extending-the-regime-to-business-and-commercial-projects

The Loose Anti Opencast Network (LAON) has analysed what the effect would be if the legislation was in place now on opencast mine proposals. There are 11 possible or actual proposals for opencast mines in England currently. Under these proposals, decisions about the four largest could be taken out of the hands of the Local Authority and given to a single unelected person to decide. Our Briefing Note “ Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Proposed 100 Hectare Threshold” published along with this Press Release @

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2012/11/503382.html

outlines further why The Loose Anti Opencast Network argues against this proposal and urges other community and environmental groups to urgently study these proposals and voice their objections.

All responses, on forms provided in the consultation document, have to be in by 7/1/13.

About LAON

Contacting LAON

Steve Leary LAON’Ss Co-ordinator, at infoatlaon@yahoo.com

You can now follow LAON on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/Seftonchase

Campaigners from No Dash for Gas abseil 90m down power station chimney to end 7 day occupation

This morning the last two campaigners from No Dash for Gas abseiled down the side of one of the chimneys they have been occupying at EDF’s West Burton power station for the past 7 days to end the most audacious and high profile direct action in recent years. Four campaigners had left yesterday, all have handed themselves in to the police.

Total occupation time: 7 days
Total CO₂ saved: 19117 tonnes

The seven day protest saw 16 activists occupy the flues of two of the chimneys at the UK's newest gas-fired power station. Whilst up there, they rigged a rope between the two chimneys and people were able to travel across. The group, No Dash for Gas, were there to stop emissions, halt construction of the power station and highlight the senselessness of the government's proposed 'dash for gas' in the upcoming Energy Bill. In a move that the government's own Select Committee on Climate Change has said might be illegal, the government wants to build up to 20 new gas-fired power stations. This would lock us into relying on fossil fuels for another 30 years, making it impossible to hit emissions reductions targets, and ensuring household energy bills continue to rise.

Ewa Jasiewicz, one of the campaigners and the last person coming down from the chimney, said:

“This was the first time activists have managed to successfully shut down a power station, and the longest occupation of a power station the UK has ever seen. We stopped 20,000 tonnes of CO2 being emitted, prevented any construction work on the site for a week and got our message about how reckless and ridiculous, let alone probably illegal, George Osborne's proposed 'dash for gas' is out to thousands of people. I'm proud of what we've achieved – but it's only the start of the battle for our energy future.”

During the week-long occupation, Energy Minister John Hayes’ anti-windfarm outburst demonstrated that the Coalition's energy policy is in utter disarray. We also witnessed Hurricane Sandy wreak unprecedented damage in one of the most severe warnings of the effects of climate change the world has seen. By shutting down West Burton for a week, No Dash for Gas have demonstrated the need to make the transition away from a fossil-fuel-dependent energy infrastructure. Danny Chivers, one of the campaigners who occupied the central chimney, said:

“Hurricane Sandy demonstrated all too clearly that climate change is already serious – and it's only getting more so each month it gets ignored. Companies like EDF are getting away with murder, for the sake of some short-term profit. They are burning more and more fossil fuels, like gas, when we desperately need a sustainable and fair energy system. The technology to supply our energy needs through renewable energy sources already exists, but the people with the power are recklessly and irresponsibly ignoring this.”

Day 7: Update and photos from No Dash for Gas

No Dash for Gas activists have now prevented over 14,500 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted, as the chimney they are occupying had to be shut down

They are saving over 2300 tonnes of CO2 emissions every day

No Dash for Gas activists have now prevented over 14,500 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted, as the chimney they are occupying had to be shut down

They are saving over 2300 tonnes of CO2 emissions every day

The Govenment's dash 4 gas is illegal because it will make it impossible 2 meet legally-binding emissions reductions targets under Climate Act

Just 2 activists left occupying the chimney as they head into day 8. Longest-running power station occupation ever!

They've had workers contacting them in private giving their support. Can't speak openly, fear for of jobs

Campaigners prevent carbon emissions in longest-ever power station occupation

Government’s dash for gas branded ‘indefensible’ in wake of Hurricane Sandy

EDF has confirmed that the UK’s newest gas-fired power station will remain shut down after more than thirty No Dash for Gas climate change campaigners evaded security and entered the site on Monday morning. Sixteen of them are spending their third day at the top of two 300 ft smokestacks at the West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire, and last night built new barricades out of scaffolding, ladders and wood. They have abseiled down inside one of the chimneys to set up camp in tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. [1] As long as they hold their position above the furnace the plant is unable to operate.

Because the plant was not yet fully operational and not connected to the grid, the campaigners claim they have prevented 2371 tonnes of CO2 emissions a day by shutting down the one working chimney. This is equivalent to the energy that an average home uses for 182 years, or taking 465 cars off the road for a year. [2] As the human and economic costs of Hurricane Sandy become clearer, the need to take action on climate change and avoid many more instances of such extreme weather-related disasters has never been more pressing.

Anneka Kelly is one of the activists occupying one of the chimneys. Speaking on a mobile phone she said:

"Energy bills are going through the roof, the East Coast of the US has been devastated by Hurricane Sandy, we’re seeing droughts and floods across the world and global temperatures are rising. Yet the government, at the behest of the Big Six energy companies, wants to build 20 new gas power stations. This is indefensible. Gas is expensive, highly polluting and we don’t need it. We should be investing in clean high-tech renewables that slash pollution and in the long run will cost a lot less.”

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire has been targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. [3] The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants – a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills. This decision is likely to be confirmed when the delayed Energy Bill is published towards the end of November. But the activists echo many scientists and the government’s own advisers in calling for an end to plans for a new dash for gas and investment in a high-tech carbon-free electricity system instead. [4]

Contrary to claims by ministers and the industry, gas is a dirty fuel that poses an unacceptable threat to the environment. It’s also expensive – official figures from Ofgem show that the average UK energy bill rose £150 last year, with £100 of that due to rising wholesale gas prices.[5] Only last week EDF raised their prices, following most of the other major companies and plunging even more people into fuel poverty. Meanwhile high-tech renewable systems are rapidly coming down in price, meaning that soon they will be cheaper, while communities across the country are turning their back on the Big Six energy companies in favour of cooperative community energy schemes.

The activists have not yet decided when they are going to come down, but have pledged to give the police several hours warning, and hand themselves in. Nevertheless, the police have criticised them for wasting taxpayers’ money on an expensive police operation.

Ewa Jasiewicz, one of the activists occupying one of the chimneys, said : ‘It’s EDF who are wasting taxpayers’ money. There is no need for such a heavy police presence on the ground and helicopters in the sky. It’s not like we’re trying to escape! We have communicated with the police from the start and assured them this is a responsible protest, with safety at its heart. We will give them plenty of warning when we intend to come down, and will hand ourselves over.’

Find out more at www.nodashforgas.org.uk
Follow us on Twitter: @nodashforgas
Like us on Facebook: No Dash for Gas

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The night-time incursion was launched at 2am when the raiders got through the security fence. Under cover of darkness fifteen of them crossed the expanse to the chimneys then split into two groups and began the 300ft climb to the top. They are now building barricades to defend their positions. They have enough supplies with them to last at least a week and say they’re in it for the long haul. The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. A further team remained on the ground to liaise with the plant’s managers. Before launching the protest they engaged in extensive consultation with an expert engineer and each underwent intensive safety training.
According to the government, Combined Cycle Gas Turbine plants like this emit 353g of CO2 per kilowatt hour: http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/policy-legislation/emr/2179-eps-impact-assessment-emr-wp.pdf . This plant had been generating 280 megawatts:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/30/no-dash-for-gas-occupy . 353g per hour for a day is 8.47 kg a day (353 x 24 = 8470g) and 8.47 x 280,000 is 2371 tonnes a day. That’s the same as energy that an average home uses for 182 years, or taking 465 cars off the road for a year. A driver would have to drive their car non-stop, night and day, for ten and a half years to emit that much…
http://www.yousustain.com/footprint/howmuchco2?co2=2371+tons
West Burton gas power station is a 1,300MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant, currently under construction in Nottinghamshire. It is comprised of three turbine houses and chimneys, labelled Units 1, 2 and 3. Unit 2 is complete and is operating at almost full capacity. Units 1 and 3 are further behind, with Unit 1 closer to completion than 3. When complete, the new CCGT plant will emit approximately 4.5 million tonnes CO2 per year when operating at full capacity. This is more than the annual emissions of Paraguay. [i]
The Government's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have called for our electricity system to be almost entirely carbon free by 2030.[ii] They have defined this as meaning that our electricity system should produce no more than 50g of CO2 for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated, by 2030. The Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, John Gummer, recently wrote to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, to warn that George Osborne's plans for a new generation of gas power could be illegal: “extensive use of unabated gas-fired capacity… in 2030 and beyond would be incompatible with meeting legislated carbon budgets.” [iii]
Figures from Ofgem show that in 2011 the average UK energy bill rose by £150, with £100 of this due to the rising cost of gas. [iv]

Facts and figures on the dash for gas:

· Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, has called for 20GW of gas power stations to be built by 2030, approximately 20 new power stations. [v]

· He has also guaranteed that gas power stations that already have planning consent can, if built, continue emitting CO2 unabated until 2045, i.e. their full life-span, by exempting them from emissions regulations. [vi] There is currently 13GW of gas that has either recently been completed, is in construction, or has been granted planning consent. [vii]

· Lord Turner, in his former role as Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, wrote to the Energy Secretary to warn this would lead to “the risk that there will be too much gas-fired generation instead of low carbon investment” and that the policy could take emissions "beyond the limits implied by carbon budgets."[viii]

· Last week, EDF hiked their energy prices by 10.8%, the highest of any of the big six energy companies so far this winter.

· Recent polling by YouGov found that 55% of people want more windfarms, compared to just 17% who want more gas power stations. [ix]

· An ICM poll found that more than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home. [x]

· The Offshore Wind Valuation Group found that harnessing just 29% of the practical offshore renewable resource by 2050 would generate the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production and making Britain a net electricity exporter. [xi]

[i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2012/jun/21/world-carbon-emissions-league-table-country

[ii] http://www.theccc.org.uk/pdf/7980-TSO%20Book%20Chap%205.pdf and http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cc7ad3ee-fd8d-11e1-8e36-00144feabdc0.html#axzz27O6cJ1io

[iii] http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/EMR%20letter%20-%20September%2012.pdf

[iv] http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/smr/Documents1/SMR%20update%2028-03-12.pdf

[v] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/28/gas-fired-power-stations-uk?INTCMP=SRCH

[vi] http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_025/pn12_025.aspx

[vii] http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/energy-security/3425-statutory-security-of-supply-report-2011.pdf

[viii] http://downloads.theccc.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/Letters/EdwardDaveyMP_Letter270312.pdf

[ix] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/30/germany-renewable-energy-revolution

[x] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/23/wind-shale-gas-icm-poll

[xi] http://offshorevaluation.org/downloads/offshore_valuation_full.pdf

No Dash for Gas 40 hours and counting: Update & Photos

Yesterday more than 20 climate change activists evaded security to shut down the UK’s newest gas-fired power station. 16 of them have remained in the power station occupying two of its chimneys to prevent it from being turned on again. They climbed two smokestacks at EDF Energy’s West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire and abseiled down the insides of the chimneys. The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. They've now been up there for over 40 hours, they intend to stay there until it is no longer possible to remain. They have set up camp with tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. They have also installeted solar panels and are building barricades to defend their positions.

The group have come together under the banner ‘No Dash For Gas’, from across the country to take action against the new wave of investment in gas. Profit-hungry corporations have been successful in lobbying politicians to replace coal with gas as the new backbone to our highly-polluting and insecure energy infrastructure, whilst doing nothing to tackle climate change or rising energy bills.

For as long as we have an economic system driven by profit, our energy system will continue to drive us towards catastrophic climate change. We’re here to fight back against an ecologically irreversible decision to continue with a fossil-fuel powered energy system despite the fact that renewable technologies are capable of powering a sustainable future. The effects of anthropogenic climate change have been more widespread and more severe this year than any so far on record – the arctic melt smashed through all previous records, the drought in the USA has sparked the beginning of a worldwide food crisis and there has been a marked increase in extreme weather events across the globe.

This action is one of many that have taken place this year as part of a renewed effort by activists across the UK to take action against climate change and the economic system driving it. During our time up the chimney we want to connect with groups and organisations who share our belief that the time to take radical action on climate change is now; and radical action stretches from finding ways for communities to adapt and be resilient to climate change, to standing up to the vested economic interests that are preventing the transition to an ecologically viable and more humane society.

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire is being targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants—a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills.

Keep in touch with latest developments by following us on twitter: @nodashforgas

Protest camp on top of chimney

No Dash For Gas: Campaigners shut down UK’s newest gas plant

Early on Monday 29th October, fifteen people scaled the chimneys of West Burton gas-fired power station, shutting it down and halting further construction. West Burton is one of the first of up to 20 new gas-fired power stations the Government has planned.

The new ‘dash for gas’ will leave us dependent on a highly polluting and increasingly expensive fossil fuel for decades to come. It would make even our modest carbon reduction targets impossible to hit, and cause household energy bills to soar even further. While energy companies profit, our chances of a secure and sustainable future are slipping away.

This action is therefore in defence of the global commons, which are under sustained attack by polluting fossil fuel companies. We are here to challenge corporate power and the rush to further ingrain an energy system that puts short term profits of the few, above the collective needs of the many.

Replacing our outdated energy infrastructure with clean alternatives will generate hundreds of thousands of jobs. The technology is already powering thousands of homes across the UK, and enjoys overwhelming public support.

This is an opportunity to wrest power from a cartel of energy companies, and back into the hands of communities. The dash for gas makes no sense for anyone except the big energy companies. We need a cleaner, more resilient and economically just energy system – and we’re here to fight for it. This is the new battleground for our energy future.

Climbers abseil down inside of chimneys and halt construction

This morning, more than twenty climate change campaigners evaded security to shut down the UK’s newest gas-fired power station. They have climbed two smokestacks at EDF’s West Burton plant in Nottinghamshire and have abseiled down the insides of the chimneys. They are now setting up camp in tents suspended from ropes inside the flues. As long as they hold their position above the furnaces the plant is unable to operate.

The occupation fires the starting gun on a huge nationwide battle over Britain’s energy future, with activists determined to stop government plans for a new dash for gas. They are calling instead for a high-tech carbon-free electricity system.

The night-time incursion was launched at 2am when the raiders got through the security fence. Under cover of darkness fifteen of them crossed the expanse to the chimneys then split into two groups and began the 300ft climb to the top. They are now building barricades to defend their positions. They have enough supplies with them to last at least a week and say they’re in it for the long haul.

The plant was shut down shortly after the campaigners began the ascent. A further team remained on the ground to liaise with the plant’s managers. Before launching the protest they engaged in extensive consultation with an expert engineer and each underwent intensive safety training.

West Burton power station in Nottinghamshire is being targeted because it’s one of the first in a new generation of highly polluting gas plants planned for the UK. The Coalition Government recently announced it intends to give the green light to as many as 20 new gas plants – a move that would crash Britain’s carbon targets, contribute to the climate crisis and push up bills.

Anneka Kelly is one of the activists occupying the chimney. Speaking on a mobile phone she said:

“Energy bills are going through the roof, people are getting flooded out of their homes, we’re seeing droughts across the world but the energy companies are making a killing. We’re here because we want an electricity system that doesn’t cause our world to warm and our bills to rise ever higher. Gas is expensive and highly polluting, but if the Government gets its way we’ll be reliant on it for decades. Instead we should be investing in clean high-tech renewables that slash pollution and in the long run will cost a lot less.”

Contrary to claims by ministers and the industry, gas is a dirty fuel that poses an unacceptable threat to the environment. It’s also expensive – official figures from Ofgem show that the average UK energy bill rose £150 last year, with £100 of that due to rising wholesale gas prices. Only last week EDF raised their prices, following most of the other major companies and plunging even more people into fuel poverty. Meanwhile high-tech renewable systems are rapidly coming down in price, meaning that soon they will be cheaper, while communities across the country are turning their back on the Big Six energy companies in favour of cooperative community energy schemes.

Ewa Jasiewicz is on top of one of the chimneys. She said:

“A new dash for gas will leave the UK utterly reliant on this dirty expensive fuel for decades to come. Our energy system is being run by a cartel of corporations that has this government in its pocket. As long as we have an economic system driven by profit, we will have an energy system that ignores the needs of those suffering most from climate change and rising energy bills. With a quarter of the UK’s outdated energy infrastructure needing to be replaced, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in renewables that could generate hundreds of thousands of jobs, radically cut emissions of carbon dioxide and stabilise energy bills. Clean green technology is already powering thousands of homes across the UK, and enjoys overwhelming public support.”

Notes to editors: · West Burton gas power station is a 1,300MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) plant, currently under construction in Nottinghamshire. · It is comprised of three turbine houses and chimneys, labelled Units 1, 2 and 3. Unit 2 is complete and is operating at almost full capacity. Units 1 and 3 are further behind, with Unit 1 closer to completion than 3. · When complete, the new CCGT plant will emit approximately 4.5 million tonnes CO2 per year when operating at full capacity. This is more than the annual emissions of Paraguay.[i] · The Government's independent climate advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, have called for our electricity system to be almost entirely carbon free by 2030.[ii] They have defined this as meaning that our electricity system should produce no more than 50g of CO2 for every kilowatt hour of electricity generated, by 2030. · The Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, John Gummer, recently wrote to the Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, to warn that George Osborne's plans for a new generation of gas power could be illegal: “extensive use of unabated gas-fired capacity… in 2030 and beyond would be incompatible with meeting legislated carbon budgets.”[iii] · Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey, has called for 20GW of gas power stations to be built by 2030, approximately 20 new power stations. [iv] · He has also guaranteed that gas power stations that already have planning consent can, if built, continue emitting CO2 unabated until 2045, i.e. their full life-span, by exempting them from emissions regulations.[v] There is currently 13GW of gas that has either recently been completed, is in construction, or has been granted planning consent.[vi] · Lord Turner, in his former role as Chair of the Committee on Climate Change, wrote to the Energy Secretary to warn this would lead to “the risk that there will be too much gas-fired generation instead of low carbon investment” and that the policy could take emissions "beyond the limits implied by carbon budgets."[vii] · Figures from Ofgem show that in 2011 the average UK energy bill rose by £150, with £100 of this due to the rising cost of gas. [viii] · Last week, EDF hiked their energy prices by 10.8%, the highest of any of the big six energy companies so far this winter. · Recent polling by YouGov found that 55% of people want more windfarms, compared to just 17% who want more gas power stations. [ix] · An ICM poll found that more than two-thirds of people would rather have a wind turbine than a shale gas well near their home. [x] · The Offshore Wind Valuation Group found that harnessing just 29% of the practical offshore renewable resource by 2050 would generate the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production and making Britain a net electricity exporter. [xi] [i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/datablog/2012/jun/21/world-carbon-emissions-league-table-country [ii] http://www.theccc.org.uk/pdf/7980-TSO%20Book%20Chap%205.pdf and http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/cc7ad3ee-fd8d-11e1-8e36-00144feabdc0.html#axzz27O6cJ1io [iii] http://hmccc.s3.amazonaws.com/EMR%20letter%20-%20September%2012.pdf [iv] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/sep/28/gas-fired-power-stations-uk?INTCMP=SRCH [v] http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/news/pn12_025/pn12_025.aspx [vi] http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/energy-security/3425-statutory-security-of-supply-report-2011.pdf [vii] http://downloads.theccc.org.uk.s3.amazonaws.com/Letters/EdwardDaveyMP_Letter270312.pdf [viii] http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/smr/Documents1/SMR%20update%2028-03-12.pdf [ix] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/30/germany-renewable-energy-revolution [x] http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/23/wind-shale-gas-icm-poll [xi] http://offshorevaluation.org/downloads/offshore_valuation_full.pdf

EF! Winter Moot 2013: 22-24th February, near Preston

A weekend get-together for people involved in ecological direct action, from fighting opencast coal, fracking, GM, nuclear power to road building. There’ll be discussions and campaign planning – with the emphasis on the tactics and strategies we use, community solidarity and sustainable activism.

Update: full transport details and programme at link below.

BBC Investigates Opencast Mining

THE LOOSE ANTI OPEN-CAST NETWORK

BBC’s COUNRTYFILE PROGRAMME INVESTIGATES WHY A REMOTE HAMLET IS ON THE FRONT LINE OF A PLANNING BATTLE OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

THE LOOSE ANTI OPEN-CAST NETWORK

BBC’s COUNRTYFILE PROGRAMME INVESTIGATES WHY A REMOTE HAMLET IS ON THE FRONT LINE OF A PLANNING BATTLE OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

A small village, of just 75 households, is all that may stand between preserving large sections of the English countryside and the expressed desire of the UK Mineral Extraction Industry to see more permissions given to exploiting England’s mineral resources in areas that are more environmentally sensitive and / or are closer to where people live.

The unfortunate village is Halton Lea Gate, located on the Cumbria / Northumberland border and near an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A team from the BBC’s Counrtyfile programme was filming there recently to investigate why this spot now finds itself on the front line of a national planning controversy.

In early August, after a Public Inquiry into an Appeal to grant permission for an Opencast Mine, the Inspector found in favour of the Applicant. The sting in the tale, for all other communities in England, is the reasoning given by the Inspector to allow the Appeal. His reasoning set a new case law precedent, it is argued, which affects all future mineral planning applications in England.

What the Applicant has to replicate in the future, is the argument used here: that there is a national need for the mineral in question, in this case coal. If they can persuade the Planning Authority (or the Inspector, if the Application has gone to an Appeal) that this is the case, then ‘great weight’ has to be attached to this claim. So much weight it seems, that this factor alone may override all other considerations. (1)

This situation has arisen as a consequence of the Government implementing the new National Planning Policy Framework. In the time leading up to the 2010 election, lobbying organisations such as Coalpro and the CBI lobbied long and hard for a relaxation of the planning rules for mineral extraction. (2) It seems, from this example, the first Public Inquiry for mineral extraction to be held under the new rules, that their efforts have been rewarded. The advice of the Inspector has now gone to the Department of Communities and Local Government to be confirmed or rejected by a Minister.

The BBC came to investigate the issue and explore why local people have taken on the task of raising £40,000 so that they can mount a Judicial Review over the decision. If local people are successful in raising the money and mounting a successful action, they may have prevented the floodgates from opening and saved England from experiencing a rash of mineral planning applications for developing swathes of the countryside. This is now a Public Appeal, and donations can be made payable to The North Pennines Protection Group, who have been one of the local groups who have opposed this Application

An e petition to the Government has been started about this planning decision and its implication for similar planning decisions elsewhere which can be signed by following this link:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/36985

Steve Leary for the Loose Anti Opencast Network commented

“ LAON was contacted by the BBC in the lead up to filming for the Countryside programme. We are delighted to be able to cooperate in the making of the programme and show why we argue that this is an issue of national importance which will affect other communities up and down the Country if the decision is not changed.

We know of five other opencast mine applications, near Smally in Derbyshire (George Farm) , Kirklees, Sth. Yorkshire (Dearne Lea), Trowel in Nottinghamshire (Shortwood Farm) , Whittonstall in Northumberland ( Hoodsclose) and Gateshead (Birklands) that will be affected by this decision if it stands.

In addition, we are aware of three other sites where a potential applicant is making the final decision to proceed with a full application in Gateshead, Marley Hill Reclamation) , Derbyshire ( Hill Top Project near Clay Cross) and Northumberland (Ferneybeds near Widdrington Station, Northumberland) which might also be affected.

The issue here though, we believe, goes way beyond opencast mining. It’s about relaxing the rules around all forms of mineral extraction from pits for sand, gravel and clay to quarries for granite and limestone to opencast mines for coal. This is what the industry lobbied for and now, it seems, the Government has delivered, if it upholds the Inspector’s recommendation to approve the Application and the Judicial Review fails. We therefore urge people everywhere, who cherish and love our countryside, to support both the petition and the public appeal for money to take this case to a Judicial Review.”

The Counrtyfile edition of the programme is to be broadcast on Sunday 30^th September 2012. It will include a 12 minute section on the Halton Lea Gate issue.

———————————————————————————-

References

1) For more information on the significance of this decision as far as opencast mine applications are concerned see LAON PR7 here

http://nottingham.indymedia.org/articles/2754

2) Evidence about the lobbying to relax these planning rules can be found here.

Briefing Note E2 “Energy Policy and the Proposed National Planning Policy Framework,” MOPG 2011 @

http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/mopg-briefing-notes-series.html

——————————————————————-

ABOUT LAON

The Loose Anti-Opencast Network (LAON) has been in existence since 2009. It functions as a medium through to oppose open cast mine applications through which any person / group can communicate ideas, information, requests for information and possibly concerted actions if we find a target. In addition feel free to invite any other person / group who oppose opencast mining applications, to join the network so that it grows. At present LAON links individuals and groups in N Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Northumberland, Co Durham, Leeds, Kirklees Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Walsall.

You can now follow LAON on Twitter @ https://twitter.com/Seftonchase