Other – Page 13 – Earth First!

Grapes of wrath

Vineyards in Sark sabotaged.

Support wires – some up to 200 yards long – have been cut and repairs will take up to six months. The cost is estimated at tens of thousands of pounds.

Vineyards in Sark sabotaged.

Support wires – some up to 200 yards long – have been cut and repairs will take up to six months. The cost is estimated at tens of thousands of pounds.

Kevin Delaney of Sark Estate Management says staff who have been working on the project are distraught.

In all 40,000 vines have been affected out of the 100,000 planted. The support wires were severed at both ends and in the middle. Mr Delaney said it was a “night of devastation”.

The act of sabotage came ahead of a protest about the scale of vineyard plantations in the island. The Agriculture Committee have called for a halt on the conversion of grazing land. They fear it will lead to the collapse of farming and damage biodiversity.

More than 80 islanders staged a protest near a field currently being ploughed for vineyard development.

In a public statement the committee say

“The scale of this new monoculture will have a devastating effect on Sark’s unique and diverse wildlife. Many species which rely on Sark’s healthy fields – from earthworms, insects, butterflies, moths, bats, birds, up to Peregrine Falcons which nest around our cliffs, will suffer as the traditional environment is impoverished.

“We call on the Sark Estate Management to halt present work and reconsider the agricultural plans and priorities for their land in Sark.”

The agriculture committee say they have worries about the use of Bordeaux Mixture, which contains copper sulphate, becoming airborne and spreading outside the vineyards.

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.

CEMEX opponents from Hidalgo

CEMEX cannot burn more waste in the state of Hidalgo

In a statement released yesterday by GAIA, the Huichapan community, in the central México’s state of Hidalgo, has achieved a historic victory, after 6 months of protests and legal actions that drove to the closure of the plant of Proambiente company, a subsidiary of Cementos Mexicanos, CEMEX, by the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources.

This plant was responsible for receiving and processing a large part of the 12,000 tons of solid waste generated daily in Mexico City, to be burned as an alternative fuel in the kilns of CEMEX plant in Huichapan.

Shipping to cement kilns was a major “solution” driven by the Mexico City government (GDF), through an agreement with CEMEX, for the treatment of Mexican capital’s waste, after the closure of Bordo Poniente landfill (the largest in Latin America), in December 2011, and has been strongly criticized for its negative impacts on human health and the environment derived from its potential emissions of heavy metals, dioxins and furans, and other contaminants.

The inhabitants of the town of Huichapan, mainly in the communities of Maney, Dongoteay and Zothe, located around the CEMEX plant, started to feel the negative effects on health and ecosystems when it began to receive and indiscriminately burn waste from DF and organized theirself in the Citizens United for the Environment (CUMA) movement, to resist this false solution to a problem generated elsewhere in the country and raise their own alternatives for waste management.

The local community has been constantly supported by biologist Jorge Tadeo Vargas, from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), and State Rep. Sandra Ordaz Oliver, President of the Health Commission of the State Congress, who are committed to enforce statewide in Hidalgo the ban of combustion of municipal solid waste and hazardous waste, and promote a Zero Waste law for the state and its municipalities, including more sustainable options such as waste reduction and separation at source, reuse, recycling and composting.

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.

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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

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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

Anti Opencast Coal March in Clay Cross

A march is taking place on Saturday 22nd September to show the strength of opposition to any proposal to seek to opencast mine on the Hilltop Project site. For more info see

http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/events/2774

A march is taking place on Saturday 22nd September to show the strength of opposition to any proposal to seek to opencast mine on the Hilltop Project site. For more info see

http://nottingham.indymedia.org.uk/events/2774

Eco-anarchist Luca “Billy” Bernasconi is free (Switzerland)

Hello to all the comrades:

I left on Sunday, August 19. The judge (was foaming at the mouth!), like Silvia, I am also granted parole having reached two-thirds of the sentence. Finding the warmth of vegan compas, finding sights and words, it’s a pure joy to me.

Hello to all the comrades:

Despite the isolation imposed on us during this time, in fact, there has not been a single time when I had the feeling of being alone. From the letters, from the news of events and initiatives, the news that came of actions, was almost palpable energy, a strong experience, despite everything. So, by force and warmth received from the courage, I can not say thank you enough. Thanks, really.

Naturally, nothing is over, rather, it is just a new beginning along “the path off the main street.”

Now missing Costa and Marco, Porco dio!

Total solidarity with all those investigated and raided by the operation “Mangiafuoco” and all the Anarchist rebels still inside.

Thanks,

Buenos Aires: Banner drop at the Metro for the Swiss Embassy in solidarity with Marco Camenisch (Argentina)

On Wednesday 28th August, we hung a banner on the building of the Metro where the Swiss Embassy resides. While we were removed, we scattered flyers around the place.

On Wednesday 28th August, we hung a banner on the building of the Metro where the Swiss Embassy resides. While we were removed, we scattered flyers around the place. With this simple action, we express our solidarity with our anarchist comrade Marco Camenisch, a prisoner of Switzerland, currently on hunger strike. To him we send our love. To him and to all our comrades that meet behind the walls, but are never defeated, and never repent.

All our hate to the State and the prisons. They will never stop us because our solidarity is stronger than their repressive blows and organisations.

Revolutionary solidarity to all the indomitable prisoners all over the world.

Comradely greetings to all those who, day by day, struggle against this system of exploitation.

Death to the State!
Long Live Anarchy!

Individualist Anarchists

5,000 March Against Fracking in DC

More than 5,000 people from all over the nation, and various parts of the world including Australia, united [Saturday, July 28] on the West lawn of the U.S. Capitol demanding Congress take immediate action to stop fracking. After the rally that began at 2 p.m., rally participants marched for more than one hour, stopping at the headquarters of the America’s Natural Gas Alliance and American Petroleum Institute.

People impacted by fracking in their communities joined forces with 136 local and national organizations to call on Congress to Stop the Frack Attack and protect Americans from the dangerous impacts of fracking.

Rally speakers included, Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org; Josh Fox, producer of Gasland; Calvin Tillman, former mayor of Dish, Texas; Allison Chin, board president of the Sierra Club, and community members from swing states affected by fracking.

“As the increasingly bizarre weather across the planet and melting ice on Greenland makes clear, at this point we’ve got no choice but to keep fossil fuels underground. Fracking to find more is the worst possible idea,” said McKibben.

“The amazing thing about this problem is that there’s a solution… We know that we can run the world on renewable energy. We know that we can run the world on the wind. And today, we have a reminder that we can run the world on the sun,” said Fox. [Ed. note: While we support actions to stop fracking, see our article critiquing this perspective on so-called clean alternatives]

Today’s rally was part of the first national event to stop the frack attack. The rally is the culmination of three days of training to further escalate the movement to stop abuse by the fossil fuel industry. Large groups from swing states including Ohio, Colorado, Pennsylvania and North Carolina attended the training and rally to make sure that fracking is a key part of the upcoming election.

“Just weeks ago in North Carolina, our legislature ripped up decades of groundwater protections for rural drinking water, in order to allow fracking and invite in dirty industry campaign dollars. So we add our voices to the national movement calling on Congress to protect our homes, our drinking water and our health by repealing the 2005 oil and gas exemptions,” said Hope Taylor, a farmer near Durham and executive director of Clean Water for NC.

Rally participants have three key demands: an end to dirty and dangerous fracking, closure of the seven legal loopholes that let frackers in the oil and gas industry ignore the Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act, and full enforcement of existing laws to protect families and communities from the effects of fracking.

“It is time for us to come together as a people and let the law makers that work for us know that we are tired of being run over by the out-of-control oil and gas industry,” said Tillman.

While at the headquarters of America’s Natural Gas Alliance, rally organizers delivered six jugs of contaminated water in hazmat suits and then headed to the American Petroleum Institute where a 20-foot-high mock oil rig was smashed to the ground.

This event was a launching point for the movement, and will be followed by events in Albany, NY on Aug. 25, Philadelphia on Sept. 20 and Sept. 21, and subsequent events in other states and regions affected by fracking.

London Critical Mass kettled and arrested

27.7.12

Coinciding with the Olympics opening ceremony, people are tweeting that over 100 cyclists are being put on coaches and arrested, after being kettled and some CS/pepper sprayed for cycling in Olympic-only lanes and breaking an imposed Section 12 forbidding going north of the river. Cops ensured David Beckham could get through at one point by punching cyclists.

Video (during). Video (arrested onto buses after). 2 reports below, and pre-CM 'why I'm going' (& this link to updated report):

More than 100 cyclists were arrested by police close to the Olympic Stadium on the opening night of the Games.

There were scuffles between police and cyclists on the outskirts of the Olympic Park, at about 22:30 BST.

People taking part in a monthly mass bike ride held in London said they were "kettled" near the stadium.

The Metropolitan Police said they had made arrests for Public Order offences but have not responded to the kettling claim.

The force said two groups had been detained – the first on Bow Flyover and the other in Warton Road, Stratford.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: "A number of people in breach of regulations imposed on a monthly cycling event have been arrested."

In a statement, the force said the conditions on the cycle ride had been put in place "to prevent serious disruption to the community and the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games".

Kerry-Anne Mendoza, 31, who describes herself as a campaigner and writer, said: "We were cycling down the Bow Road [in Stratford] and the police directed us down a cul-de-sac.

"Then they kettled us in there. There is a line of police cars and vans behind that."

She added: "They have not communicated with us or told us why we are being held here or when they will let us out."

The regular Critical Mass ride is a pro-cycling event.

Joel Benjamin, who has been on a number of Critical Mass bike rides previously, said there were 400-500 cyclists who met on the south side of Waterloo Bridge.

"Usually there is a light police presence," he said. "Today there were far more police than I've seen before."

'Celebration of cycling'

He said police used a sound system to tell cyclists there were restrictions placed on the ride but not what it meant.

"Basically, they didn't want us to go north of the river. The police had put a roadblock stopping all traffic going north."

He said police took a "heavy-handed stance".

"I saw several cases of the police being aggressive and physical, dragging people off their bikes to the ground.

"I didn't see any arrests, but my friend, a solicitor was arrested.

"I left at about 8.30pm and managed to not get arrested, but I think around 100 people have been arrested.

"I guess there were people there who are against the Olympics, but Critical Mass is really a celebration of cycling, there was no need to get so heavy handed. "

The Met Police said a number of the arrested cyclists had been removed from the area near the Olympic Park.

The arrested cyclists have been detained under Section 12 of the Public Order Act.

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The Olympics has started and it seems cycling has become a criminal offence, worthy of police brutality – I hope the Olympic cyclists are okay tomorrow.

Hang on a minute: this is the same Olympics that politicians have been trying to brand as the greenest Olympics ever? Also, they did say how this would encourage people to get fit and into sport, didn’t they?

Critical mass met as it does on a monthly basis to cycle as a swarm, for community reclaiming of streets in London. It met near Waterloo Bridge, at the Southbank Centre. From regulars’ accounts, as it is not a “protest”, this is normally free from police suppression and it follows the whims of the mass, with no clear direction ending its route on the Royal Mall.

On this gathering, the police were there on mass too: an authoritarian mass. They announced that under a section 12 no cyclists were allowed to cross the rivers and go to any of North London. Like others there, this was where I live, and haven’t I been bombarded with Olympics posters encouraging me to get on my bike.

The over a thousand people assembled, did not move for a while. Then we set off first trying to cross Waterloo Bridge. The police blocked this route.I moved with the mass and we had similar problems at Blackfriars, our way blocked by a police line, which was also blocking the traffic. Then we headed to try Southwark Bridge, again this was blocked.

Incidentally, it was noticed amongst the crowd that David Beckham was stuck the other side of the roadblock in a dark SUV heading south. His presence stirred ripples of excitement, although the focus was more about how to head over the river.

As passersby started to pay a bit more attention, to take pictures and look at him, the police reacted. Or in my interpretation, unlawfully overreacted a little like the imposition of the Section 12. I saw cyclists thrown off their bikes, hit and manhandled for standing still. If the police had not blocked the road, this would not have happened. I reported this, moments later, to a senior officer; explaining that one of the officers had committed assault – he was not interested.

I eventually crossed a bridge, as many others did, and made my way towards Stratford; following a procession of riot vans. In Stratford, these vans were lined the streets, with officers kettling a group of cyclists who had done better exercising their rights to free movement.

When I arrived the police had kettled around one hundred cyclists, also I heard there were other kettles elsewhere and further arrests and assaults by police officers. These cyclists were taken away by the bus load, handcuffed with an officer per person. I overheard a senior policeman remark that they were going to various police stations, and their bike tagged and taken to a depot.

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Why I'm going to the Critical Mass this friday

Here's my reason why; back in 2005, we found out the news that London was going to host the Olympic games, lots of people in the media make comments about how much of a shit hole Stratford is, but truth is, its not really that shit, it's just an easy target for the developers, there's no one to defend it. Anyway since 2005 the amount of redevelopment with yuppy flats and Tescos popping up all over the town is out of control, the locals have been pushed to once side. I'm mates with a local Tory campaign, funny cause he's a tory, and all his constituents hate the Olympics, and he agrees. I'm assuming that after the Olympics like the Millenium Dome and Iraq, the top politicians will admit it was a bit of sham. Everywhere I go I hear people moaning about the Olympics, and then when I turn on the TV, I see nothing but smiling faces. Even my parents who are miserable, Daily Mail types want to see the VIP lanes blocked. We got taxis drivers moaning, dairy farmers out on strike, now its times for the opposite end of the spectrum to join in with the critical mass. When I heard about the critical mass, I thought it was time to give 'them' a hernia with stress. 130 quid fine for cycling in the VIP lane? that's an insult to the normal people who are stuck in London. Anyway over the years I've was part of the Summit Hopping movement, but no-one in London has realised all the Olympics is another political summit, and it should of been treated as such, with massive direct action, banner drops, etc etc. Anyway if your coming to the mass on friday, expect the police, GCHQ and they're other resources to really treat us like shit. On saturday a facebook event was blocked with in one-hour of its creation, I hope the girl who made the event doesn't use her own ip address. GCHQ are definitely going to watch this one. Probably a massive Copenhagen kettle on one of the bridges, or southbank, so keep your wits about you, ride a blue barclays bike, and ditch it if shit gets heavy lets not forget, the psycos of our Armed Forces are in London in numbers, and they can't tell the difference between an Afghan wedding and terrorist camp. Keep telling your mates, and invite them along. See you in the streets.

Broken Cross Open Cast Site blockaded – police act as Scottish Coal security

This morning Broken Cross opencast site in the Douglas Valley was blockaded for an hour and a half before Scottish Coal workers lifted three people in heavy concrete lock-ons out of the road, all overseen by Inspector Whip (photographed) of Strathclyde Police. This isn’t the first time that Inspector Whip has hurt people by lifting them out of the road. He’s reckless and deliberately put people’s safety at risk, all to protect the profits of Scottish Coal.

COAL ACTION SCOTLAND MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE USE 16th July 2012

Activists disrupt coal haulage and police take unacceptable risks of injury at Lanarkshire mine

At 6:00 this morning a group of 20 environmental and social justice activists blockaded the only entrance to Scottish Coal’s Broken Cross Open Cast Coal Site [1] in the Douglas Valley. This prevented all access to the site by coal lorries for one and a half hours before police ordered workers to dangerously carry activists out of the road. Concrete “lock-on tubes” were used to prevent three activists from being removed.

In an act of extreme recklessness, Inspector Whip of Strathclyde Police ordered Scottish Coal employees to drag protesters out of the access road, while they were still attached to their lock-on tubes, each weighing around 50kg. One of those moved was injured in this incident. The three have been arrested and are currently being held in custody.

Rob Hearne, one of the activists supporting the protest at the mine said: “This is not the first time that Inspector Whip and Strathclyde Police have shown such utter disregard for the safety of anti-coal activists. This kind of behaviour is totally unacceptable, where untrained workers are allowed to assault people in such a way, breaking all health and safety regulations and committing criminal offences. Strathclyde Police are acting as Scottish Coal’s private security.”

The protest was intended to stop coal from being transported from the mine to railheads and to oppose Scottish Coal’s extension to the mine as part of their “forward strategy” [2]. In particular, it aimed to stop coal HGVs from being routed through Douglas and Glespin, an issue of particular importance for local communities.

Glespin resident David Grey said: “A top traffic police officer has been quoted in the past as saying that someone will have to be killed on Lanarkshire’s roads before something is done about the haulage of coal in this area. HGVs pass right through Douglas and Glespin, past two primary schools with no level crossings, something that Scottish Coal, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Ministers all said would never happen. And now Inspector Whip endangers the lives of people trying to make the roads safer for local residents! It’s outrageous. Inspector Whip should be ashamed for putting the profits of coal above the safety of people in the valley.”

Today´s protest follows Saturday’s invasion of Mainshill Open Cast Coal Site [3] where 45 activists stopped work on the site for the day. This is part of a week-long action camp and occupation of Scottish Coal’s intended new mine in the area, Glentaggart East [4]. The camp called “Take Back the Land!” [5] has attracted activists from across Scotland, the UK and Europe to take direct action against the blight of opencast coal mining.

Coal Action Scotland are preparing a formal complaint to Strathclyde Police about this incident.

For interviews and comment please contact:

Roger Wilkins on 07917141720 or email contact@coalactionscotland.org.uk

Photos can be emailed upon request.

Notes to editors:

[1] Broken Cross is the larger of Scottish Coal’s two operating open cast coal mines in the Douglas Valley, South Lanarkshire, producing around 15,000 tonnes of coal a week

[2] South Lanarkshire Council approved Scottish Coal’s North (East) Extension to Broken Cross, the third such extension, despite huge community opposition to it. The extension will see the life of the mine extended until 2024, way beyond what Scottish Planning Policy considers an acceptable cumulative impact and something that local residents find totally unacceptable.

[3] Mainshill Wood was occupied by the Mainshill Solidarity Camp on 12th June 2009. It was eventually evicted on 25th January 2010 in an eviction that lasted 5 days. It involved 45 arrests and was the largest protest site eviction in the UK since Manchester Airport 11 years previously. There was huge community opposition to the mine locally, with 654 objections being lodged against the application. Despite Lord Home, the land owner, telling local residents that he’d safeguard the area from mining, he did the opposite and is now being paid by Scottish Coal for lease of the land. Since the start of coaling operations at the site in February 2010 local residents have complained of noise and dust impacts and danger on the roads as coal HGVs are routed through Douglas and Glespin.

Lord Home owns Douglas & Angus Estates. He is the son of the former prime minister Alec Home, a peer in the House of Lords and chairperson of Coutts Bank. He lives in London but has a stately home at Castlemains in the Douglas Valley.

Scottish Coal currently have two operational sites in the valley, Mainshill and Glentaggart, down from 5 in 2010.

[4] Scottish Coal have been given approval by South Lanarkshire Council despite 232 letters of objection to mine 4 million tonnes of coal from the Glentaggart East site, adjacent to the existing Glentaggart site which was in operation between 2001 and 2011. RSPB objected to the application because of the ecologically important blanket bog and protected bird breeding habitats on the 350 hectare site. The mine will be 1.5km away from two primary schools and continue the encirclement of Douglas Valley villages with opencast mines.

Glentaggart East is part of Scottish Coal’s “Forward Strategy”, unveiled in September 2011. It included 3 new opencast mine applications. One of these, Auldton Heights, was withdrawn following a substantial campaign against it. A further extension to Broken Cross, an existing site, was granted permission by the council, despite opposition from local residents.

[5] for more information about Take Back the Land! please see the following website: http://takebacktheland.org.uk/

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