The Next Steps for West Cumbria Mining
Those behind the bid to bring the mining industry back to west Cumbria, give their latest update on the project.
With a planning application submitted to Cumbria County Council in May and a determination on this anticipated towards the end of the year, the team at West Cumbria Mining (WCM) are focused on the next steps in the project’s progress.
At the end of September, WCM began initial site investigation works on the former Marchon site. These works will enable the company to gain valuable information regarding the condition of the existing anhydrite mine drift tunnels and allow for the further collection of water samples for analysis.
The drift re-entry works will involve the removal of the existing stoppings on both drifts to enable the team of mining engineers, along with Mines Rescue, to access the drifts once they have been properly ventilated to allow fresh air to circulate. An inspection of the drifts is then planned to take place to assess their condition and the amount of refurbishment required.
WCM Communications Manager, Helen Davies, said: “The site will have a 24 hour security presence and there will be strictly no access to the public for health and safety reasons. Works are expected to last for around five to six weeks and, as always, WCM aims to minimise any impact on the local community.”
The exploration programme, which is taking place from a jack-up barge offshore, is continuing to progress well with three of the six planned boreholes having been successfully completed. WCM is carrying out this exploratory work to gain further detailed information regarding the position and thickness of the coal seams and the surrounding geology.
The next public drop-in sessions will take place at the Haig office on , Thursday 26 October, from 10am-12pm and Tuesday 14 November from 2-4pm. These sessions will be aimed at giving the local community an opportunity to talk over any questions or concerns that they may have ahead of the next public update events.
To see the project planning documents, visit the Cumbria County Council website planning portal. Comments or letters of support can still be sent to [email protected]
To keep up-to-date with the latest news on the project visit www.westcumbriamining.com or contact 01946 848333.
