County tries to halt NCB coal convoys
Page 12
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
NORTHUMBERLAND County Council has moved for the second time to stop the National Coal Board from using large numbers of lorries on the county's roads.
The latest battle has resulted in the county council sending an enforcement notice to the NCB lbrbidding it from continuing with its preparation of a new open cast site at Acklington's Chester House until it agrees details with the council on lorry numbers serving the site.
The Chester House site, due to open this year, will eventually produce 8,000 tonnes of coal every week. Half will go for export to Blyth docks and Blyth power station and the other half will go to South-East England power stations.
But the NCB wants to ensure flexibility of lorry movements. It wants to be allowed an average of 180 a day.
The county council fears that this could mean up to 900 lorries on some days "going through village roads which weren't built for it", one of its officials told CM. It wants a daily maximum of 150 lorries instead.
As we went to press, the county council had not heard from the NCB following its enforcement notice to stop. preparation work, but there were reports that the NCB is considering an appeal.
This second dispute follows the county council's stop notice on the NCB in September which compelled it to adhere to using ISO lorries a week from its large Butterwell open cast site.
A huge, increase in lorry traffv— up to 2,000 a week — had caused VI millionworth of road damage since the end of the miners' strike in March, the county council estimated.
The county council told the NCB to apply for planning permission to increase the use of lorry numbers, but was refused when it did.