Heselmine!

What is becoming the annual opencast bash on Michael Heseltine’s back lawn took place on Sunday 20th October where, before dawn, sixty ex-miners and environmental activists marched silently through a Northamptonshire Village and into the grounds of Thenford Hall, the Deputy Prime Minister’s luxury retreat. Armed with pickaxes, shovels, hard hats and picnics, the Miners Support Group (MSG) association fenced off an area and began digging up the land of the one who pushed for the deep mine closure programs as Trade and Industry secretary and now promotes strip mining.

The MSG has lodged a planning application to develop a sixty-eight acre, open cast mine on the land and this was a preliminary bore hole to test water levels. Northamptonshire County Council have requested detailed proposals for the new mine. Heseltine has written to them saying he “fiercely opposes” the plans, which were made “without his consultation”. But if the planning authorities agrees with the proposal it will go directly to the Environment Secretary John Gummer for approval.

It would appear that Mr Heseltine doesn’t find Open Cast Mining quite so attractive in his own back yard. In the relevant planning guidelines there has to be very good reason to turn down Open Cast Mining proposals, so the MSG associates could soon be rich on an estimated one million tonnes of coal and Mr Heseltine could soon have an eyesore in his garden and asthma on his chest. Or maybe his objections can be used to block similar mines across the country. One digger said “we welcome Mr Heseltine’s opposition to Open Cast Mining in this beautiful area but we would like to see him oppose it elsewhere - on public land in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and in other areas”.

The Police took the role of observers and Michael refused to speak to his visitors despite being called from a mobile to discuss the matter further.

There will be another action on January 5th on the Duke of Devonshire’s estate in Derbyshire. Bring drums, fog horns and anything else that makes lots of noise to Chesterfield British Rail car park at 10.30 am. For more details contact: 0171 672 9698.