Banks Mining to operate Bradley mine in County Durham creating potential jobs

Several new jobs could be created in County Durham later this year.

Banks Mining, a North East employer, revealed it is working towards securing land rights required to operate the Bradley surface mine in the North West of the UK.

Permission has been granted from the site to extract 500,000 tonnes of coal, and now Banks Mining will look at the logistical requirements of initiating this development.

Lewis Stokes, community relations manager at The Banks Group, said: “Taking on the existing planning approval for the Bradley surface mine has been identified as one of a number of different options for how we can meet our continuing customer demand for coal.

“As with all our projects, we will ensure local people, businesses and community groups are fully informed of our plans, and of the economic, employment, supply chain, environmental and social benefits that we would look to deliver as part of them.

“The project liaison committee will provide a vital link between our project team and the community, and we’re keen to hear from local people who are interested in being part of it.”

Over the last few months, the Meadowfield-headquartered, family-owned firm has been conducting a range of desk and site-based tests to confirm the presence, location and details of the coal within the 71 hectare site.

Banks Mining has anticipated that work to create a new access road onto the A692 will commence in spring this year, with the start of mining operations following soon afterwards.

These operations would be scheduled to run for between two and three years with all activity on site complete in 2021.

Restoration will include the creation of a new nature reserve and parkland area, as well as the return of some of the land to agricultural use.

Around 30 new jobs will be supported at the Bradley site, along with others in the local supply chain, and a related community benefits fund could be created, available to support local projects and initiatives.

Gavin Styles, executive director at Banks Mining, added: “Government projections state that coal will continue to be an important part of the UK’s energy mix for at least the medium term…

“The North East is in an enviable position in terms of the access it has to energy resources such as this, and as a County Durham-based business with over 40 years [of] industry experience, we have the skills and expertise to operate and restore the Bradley site in a safe, responsible and efficient way.”