Three more pits face closure: Outlook bleak for South Yorkshire mines that were 'reprieved' after
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.THREE more coal mines face the prospect of closure with the loss of 1,450 jobs. The mines are Bentley, Frickley and Hatfield in South Yorkshire. They were on a list of 12 collieries to be reprieved following the Government White Paper on the coal industry this year.
The plight of the pits emerged as a result of British Coal's review of its Northern Group collieries. British Coal held meetings with unions to discuss the pits yesterday. The company, which plans further urgent meetings on the three mines, said: 'The review was held against the background of an increasingly serious imbalance between coal demand and supply and unfavourable market prospects.'
Ken Capstick, the Yorkshire region vice-chairman of the National Union of Mineworkers, said that closing the three pits would be absolutely devastating for the local communities. 'It is a disastrous situation which has go nothing to do with the market - it is purely because of government policy. We are rapidly moving towards a situation where we are not going to have a coal industry,' he said.
Mr Capstick added that local towns and villages were totally dependent on the three pits and that miners had been working hard to keep them open.
British Coal has said that the amount of coal burnt in UK power stations this year will be 7 million tons less than expected because of the increased use of nuclear power and natural gas in electricity generation. Half of that 7 million tons would have been supplied by pits in Yorkshire.
Alan Houghton, the director of British Coal's Northern Group, told local union leaders that energy market developments since publication of the Government's Coal Review in March had almost eliminated the potential for more coal sales in the current financial year. Adding to the problem are about 30 million tons of stockpiled coal held by British Coal's main customers, National Power and PowerGen.
British Coal said that the reduced market has put a strangle-hold on Bentley colliery, where 450 people work. Frickley, with a workforce of 740, lost pounds 1.8m in the six months to the end of September and Hatfield lost pounds 8.3m in the period under review. The mines have been in operation for between 80 and 90 years.
Of the 12 'reprieved' mines, Markham in Derbyshire has already closed and miners at Rufford in Nottinghamshire have agreed to closure.
Last week, British Coal announced the imminent closure of a third, Calverton near Nottingham, with the loss of 640 jobs.
About 21,000 men, more than half the mining workforce, have left the industry since October 1992.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments