Member Article

Chinese learn about North East mine restoration

A delegation of senior Chinese state officials have travelled to Northumberland to learn more about the restoration of former mining sites from a North East property developer.

The Banks Group hosted a dozen delegates from the Fangshan district, close to the Chinese capital Beijing, with a view to sharing ideas and expertise on best practice in public amenity and open space development, and with a particular focus on transforming brownfield sites into community landmarks or leisure facilities.

The visit could lead to further co-operation in the future between Banks and the Fangshan People’s Government.

Banks representatives gave a presentation to the delegation at its new Shotton surface mine, including details of how a number of former mining sites have previously been returned to their original state.

The presentation also covered the company’s plans to create the Northumberlandia landform sculpture project, as part of Shotton’s “Restoration First” strategy, which creates benefits for the wider community during the life of the site, rather than waiting until after coal extraction has finished.

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, said: “Beijing Fangshan is an area that has many old coal mines and restoration of these sites is an increasingly important issue for the local authorities, just as it is for us with the sites that we operate.

“The Fangshan officials first heard about Banks through research into our plans for Northumberlandia, and further discussions on the other brownfield restorations that we have successfully carried out have led to the visit of this delegation, which we are extremely pleased to have hosted.

“It’s very pleasing for us to be recognised for our experience in this area, and we hope our visitors took a lot of useful new information and ideas away with them.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .