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Foe accuses duke of "double standards" over countryside
27 February 1998
Robin Maynard, Local Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth said:
"Perhaps the Duke of Devonshire should be known as the "Duke of Double Standards". He claims to stand up for the countryside yet is prepared to allow land that he is privileged to own be devastated by opencast coal mining - one of the most environmentally destructive processes in the UK. Concern for the rural environment requires these destructive schemes to be abandoned now".
There are currently two applications to develop opencast coal mines on land owned by the Chatsworth Estate.
HJ Banks has proposed to develop an opencast coal mine on 83 hectares of greenfield by Junction 29 of the M1 near Chesterfield. The site is within 50 metres of a nationally important ancient archaeological monument. It will border the Holmewood Brook wildlife site, Heath Conservation Area and Stainsby Conservation Area. There have been 1500 objections including the local CPRE and FOE groups, National Trust, Environment Agency,Derbyshire County Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and Bolsover District Council.
An application has gone in for an opencast coalmine on 600 acres of greenbelt at Breck.The site is just 100 metres from the settlement of Barrow Hill in north Derbyshire. One thousand metres away is Staveley Chemicals, also on the Duke's land. The area has been extensively opencast over the years. 2 million tonnes of coal will be extracted, before being partly landfilled with domestic waste. The project is likely to last a minimum of 19 years.
The Duke has also been involved with other controversial proposals on greenfield land that he owns including, out of town retail developments, large scale industrial developments and housing.
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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
