MPs have been debating the subject of who should foot the bill for the restoration of opencast coal sites. The debates, which took place at the end of January, saw Business, Innovation and Skills Minister Matthew Hancock agreeing to work with politicians from across all parties to find a solution to the issues faced by the communities affected.
There are currently 34 open-cast mines across the UK—17 of which are in Scotland. There are also a number of unrestored and orphaned sites, cases where the developers have declared bankruptcy and disappeared.
Mr Hancock said he “recognised the scale of the challenge” but added that the costs of the restoration of opencast mines had already been taken into account back in 1994 when companies paid for the rights to the sites.
The debate was opened by was opened by Madeleine Moon, Shadow Business, Innovation and Skills Minister, after she had expressed her concern about some of the opencast sites in south Wales which were still waiting to be restored by their old operators long after mining had ended at the sites.
Ms Moon told the debate; "The Treasury has profited. Businesses have profited. Somebody has to hold up their hand and take the moral, social, political, financial and ethical responsibility. “We cannot let the private companies get out of this with a responsibility-free zone. Inadequate legislation failed; inadequate regulation failed; the mining industry has failed. We have passed the parcel of responsibility for too long. Let us stop the music, and make the changes our communities need, expect and deserve.”
She added that as the privatisation of the coal industry in 1994 had benefitted the UK Treasury and its agencies the funding for the restoration of the old mines should also be their responsibility.Plaid Cymru Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan Edwards said that the UK Government and opencast operators should jointly be responsible for a fund which would pay to complete any outstanding restoration work.
“The Welsh Government can and must deliver meaningful action to protect communities. The UK Government should also be ready and willing to assist by sharing expertise, supporting the devolved Governments in tackling the issue and helping fund restoration work not completed largely as a result of the loopholes left by the coal industry privatisation legislation, supported by this House.
“That fund should be funded by contributions by the UK Government and open-cast operators, and the trustees should include members of communities affected by open-cast operations.”
Tuesday 24 February 2015
Monday 16 February 2015
New urban cycle lane for London is approved
The campaign for an urban cycle lane through central London finally achieved its target in January when Boris Johnson approved plans for what will become Europe’s longest segregated urban cycle lane. Nicknamed the “Crossrail for bikes”, it will become a protected route through Parliament Square, along the Victoria Embankment and Upper Thames Street.
Support for the cycle lane was overwhelming, with 84 per cent of the 21,500 responses to the plans backing the suggested route which will link Barking and Acton, as well as a linked north-south route between King’s Cross and Elephant and Castle.
The project is due to get underway in April, once plans are ratified by Transport for London (TfL) in early February. The central part of the route, which will cost an estimated £41million to build, will create a link between Tower Hill and the A40 Westway flyover at Paddington, and should be completed by April 2016.
TfL board members are also all set to approve upgrades to the existing CS2 cycle superhighway between Whitechapel and Bow. Work begins in February 2015 on a brand new north-south superhighway, which will join Elephant and Castle and King’s Cross.
Objections to the work mainly centred on the delays that introducing new cycle lanes would cause to existing commuter traffic, but planners came up with a way around the problem. They anticipate being able to reduce any delays by around 60 per cent by narrowing the ‘both ways’ cycle lane from 4m to 3m for short sections, at Temple, Tower Hill and in the Blackfriars underpass.
Mr Johnson was keen to reallocate space on central London roads in response to their changing use - the amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last decade while the number of cyclists has doubled. Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour.
The latest Crossrail for bikes plan is part of the Mayor’s £913 million ‘cycle revolution for London’. He had said that he wanted to reallocate space on the roads around central London, as amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last ten years, in contrast to the number of cyclists which has doubled.
Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour. He said: “I look forward to the transformation that these routes will bring – not just for people who cycle now, but for the thousands of new cyclists they will attract.
“Getting more people on their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone, whether or not they cycle themselves.”
Support for the cycle lane was overwhelming, with 84 per cent of the 21,500 responses to the plans backing the suggested route which will link Barking and Acton, as well as a linked north-south route between King’s Cross and Elephant and Castle.
The project is due to get underway in April, once plans are ratified by Transport for London (TfL) in early February. The central part of the route, which will cost an estimated £41million to build, will create a link between Tower Hill and the A40 Westway flyover at Paddington, and should be completed by April 2016.
TfL board members are also all set to approve upgrades to the existing CS2 cycle superhighway between Whitechapel and Bow. Work begins in February 2015 on a brand new north-south superhighway, which will join Elephant and Castle and King’s Cross.
Objections to the work mainly centred on the delays that introducing new cycle lanes would cause to existing commuter traffic, but planners came up with a way around the problem. They anticipate being able to reduce any delays by around 60 per cent by narrowing the ‘both ways’ cycle lane from 4m to 3m for short sections, at Temple, Tower Hill and in the Blackfriars underpass.
Mr Johnson was keen to reallocate space on central London roads in response to their changing use - the amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last decade while the number of cyclists has doubled. Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour.
The latest Crossrail for bikes plan is part of the Mayor’s £913 million ‘cycle revolution for London’. He had said that he wanted to reallocate space on the roads around central London, as amount of vehicle traffic has fallen by 25 per cent in the last ten years, in contrast to the number of cyclists which has doubled.
Cyclists now account for a quarter of all traffic in central London in the morning rush hour. He said: “I look forward to the transformation that these routes will bring – not just for people who cycle now, but for the thousands of new cyclists they will attract.
“Getting more people on their bikes will reduce pressure on the road, bus and rail networks, cut pollution, and improve life for everyone, whether or not they cycle themselves.”
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Slips and Slides – how to keep walkways safe in winter
It’s a real dilemma – sometimes the winter weather looks so breathtakingly beautiful that you just have to go outside; but the pathways and pavements can be icy and treacherous.
There is a whole range of products that have been designed to keep outside surfaces safe in the winter, but some of them can be dangerous, especially if you have pets to think about. Don’t be tempted to tackle icy patches on the garden path with antifreeze or de-icer spray if you or your neighbours have animals, because they are highly toxic to cats and dogs, and sweet tasting too, which is a double whammy. Some specialist products that are designed to give you traction on icy pavements may also contain solvents to prevent freezing, so be aware of this.
The solution to your problem may be an easy yet probably quite inexpensive one, You can buy simple products like builder’s gravel, sand, and crushed shells for pathways, which are harmless for wildlife and pets, and also if you have a cat you could try using some of your grit-based cat litter to provide grip on surfaces that you don’t want to become slippery. All of these are suitable for use both before the snow falls, or afterwards.
Before the weather turns really bad, get a head start by keeping any areas prone to icing over as dry as you can, to keep the moisture from building up and freezing. If you can, cover any susceptible areas over.
To help you stay upright on others’ driveways on public pathways, you could also invest in studs or chains which you can slip over your shoes or boots. These give you the grip you need without needing to spread any extra products over your driveway.
If it’s already snowed, and you want to avoid slipping over in it on your way out, make a pathway in the fallen snow with an old piece of tarpaulin, a few planks of wood or some plastic sheeting to provide a safe walkway when the rest of the ground is frozen. Keep this as dry as possible to avoid icing over.
You can defrost ice and melt snow by tipping a kettle of hot water over a path, a car windscreen or into frozen locks. However, this has its risks; hot water doesn’t stay hot for long in sub-zero temperatures so be careful you don’t end up with an ice rink and even more of a problem!
Think about safety first
There is a whole range of products that have been designed to keep outside surfaces safe in the winter, but some of them can be dangerous, especially if you have pets to think about. Don’t be tempted to tackle icy patches on the garden path with antifreeze or de-icer spray if you or your neighbours have animals, because they are highly toxic to cats and dogs, and sweet tasting too, which is a double whammy. Some specialist products that are designed to give you traction on icy pavements may also contain solvents to prevent freezing, so be aware of this.
Easy problem solvers
The solution to your problem may be an easy yet probably quite inexpensive one, You can buy simple products like builder’s gravel, sand, and crushed shells for pathways, which are harmless for wildlife and pets, and also if you have a cat you could try using some of your grit-based cat litter to provide grip on surfaces that you don’t want to become slippery. All of these are suitable for use both before the snow falls, or afterwards.
Before the weather turns really bad, get a head start by keeping any areas prone to icing over as dry as you can, to keep the moisture from building up and freezing. If you can, cover any susceptible areas over.
To help you stay upright on others’ driveways on public pathways, you could also invest in studs or chains which you can slip over your shoes or boots. These give you the grip you need without needing to spread any extra products over your driveway.
Once the snow falls...
If it’s already snowed, and you want to avoid slipping over in it on your way out, make a pathway in the fallen snow with an old piece of tarpaulin, a few planks of wood or some plastic sheeting to provide a safe walkway when the rest of the ground is frozen. Keep this as dry as possible to avoid icing over.
You can defrost ice and melt snow by tipping a kettle of hot water over a path, a car windscreen or into frozen locks. However, this has its risks; hot water doesn’t stay hot for long in sub-zero temperatures so be careful you don’t end up with an ice rink and even more of a problem!
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