War against Lignite still on, warns Swann
Mr Robin Swann, a senior member of the Ulster Unionist Party’s North Antrim Association Management Committee, has said the war against lignite mining in the North Antrim constituency “is still on”.
Mr Swann made his statement after attending a meeting in Ballymoney of the Collective Objectors to Lignite Development Limited (COLD Ltd), the pressure group formed to opposed plans to build a lignite mine in the region.
Mr Swann was representing his fellow North Antrim Ulster Unionist, Assemblyman Rev Dr Robert Coulter, who is currently in India attending the 53rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Plenary Conference in New Delhi.
As well as his membership of the North Antrim UUP Management Committee, Mr Swann is treasurer of the Ballymena UUP Division and secretary of the Kellswater UUP branch.
Mr Swann added: “While some may think the battle is over, the war is definitely not. The lignite will always be there as an exploitable resource and North Antrim constituents should be under no illusion that the commercial mining sector has the ability and resolve to see this as a long-term project.
“I would comment those involved with COLD Ltd for their own resolve and commitment to oppose the lignite mining proposal in what may seem at times to be an uphill and lonely struggle.
“I would appeal to the entire North Antrim community to rally behind COLD and the anti-mining campaign and applaud the group on its positive approach to further develop the renewable energy sector within its region.
“On behalf of Rev Dr Coulter MLA and myself, I thank COLD Ltd for its very professional and informative presentation on the current energy market and resources in Northern Ireland.
“COLD Ltd has clearly demonstrated that the only possible reason for the development of a lignite mining project was to produce electricity for export and there was no need for it for the local market in Ulster.
“The North Antrim community, and indeed the entire Northern Ireland population, needs to be in no doubt about the major environmental threat this lignite mining proposal presents should it ever get the go-ahead.
“It would increase Northern Ireland’s entire greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 30 per cent, whereas the British Government and other nations’ targets is to reduce CO2 emissions globally.”
Mr Swann said a “major concern” of the anti-mining campaigners was the “stagnant feeling” which was now entering the area because the new planned North Area Development Plan showed the so-called “lignite exploitation zone” was actually three times bigger than in the previous plan.
“There is also the danger the new plan restricts any new homes being built or new businesses started within this lignite exploitation zone.
“Added to this is the danger that any planned housing development outside this so-called zone may also be rejected to ensure new homes do not conflict was any future expansion of the exploitation zone.
“These threats, added to the as yet unclear resolution to the PPS14 planning crisis, is piling even more strain on residents and families within North Antrim’s rural community.
“Even within the lignite exploitation zone, the pressures are already extreme on rural communities and these new planned restrictions are stifling any development on progression to get them resolved.
“There is also the additional crisis that 500 residents from the constituency have been brought into this new zone which the planners are dubbing the Lignite Protection Zone. It is not the lignite inn the ground which requires protection, but the local people , the constituency’s environment and their future which should be protected,” said Mr Swann.