AFTER attending a meeting at Fairburn held by the Banks Mining Group I feel I must write and express my feelings.
I have lived in the Castleford area all my life and in that time I have seen the closure of the pits and industries and the misery it caused by job losses.
Since the closure of the pits and chemical industries, Castleford has been transformed. When
the pits were open you could walk from Castleford to Allerton Bywater and the hedgerows and roadside were atrocious with dirt and grime from heavy lorries transporting coal.
Now the hedgerows are green and wildlife is thriving. Castleford and the villages of Allerton Bywater, Kippax, Ledston, Ledsham and Fairburn have at last become rural.
I never thought in my lifetime you would see people fishing on Lock Lane.
Xscape at Glass Houghton and the Millennium Village at Allerton are both on pit sites and they have been a huge success. Congratulations to all concerned.
But this could all soon come to an end because of Ledston Estate's decision to allow Banks to opencast at Fairburn.
The proposed site will become a 60 metre hole - a canyon - and any right-minded person would be appalled at the prospect.
The so-called experts tell us everything will be restored in seven years. Best case scenario. But what if something goes wrong? Will Banks and the Ledston Estate take responsibility for any accidents which will inevitably happen with up to 100 lorries a day charging through country lanes?
Worse still, what happens if, God forbid, Fairburn Ings becomes a graveyard for the birds and wildlife? Will Ledston Estate take responsibility for that?
Banks and Ledston Estate assure us this cannot happen. Remember St Aidan's in Swillington? Experts said it would not happen but the river banks collapsed and millions of gallons of water flooded in.
If a tragedy happens at Fairburn who will bear responsibilty? No-one, because the faceless men at Banks and Ledston Estate will disappear.
I know Colin Burgon is totally opposed to the scheme and I am sure Yvette Cooper will be equally appalled when she gets to know the facts.
I call upon all the people in Castleford with any influence, MPs, planners, councillors and anyone else with any clout to get together and stop this monstrous scheme as soon as possible.
And finally, I understand it will take the three local power stations just 14 days to burn the coal. Years of turmoil for two weeks' energy.
John Davis
John's Fish and Chips
Airedale
Castleford
