Anne-Marie has today welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State, who has ultimate responsibility for planning matters, Sajid Javid, to refuse planning permission to Highthorn Opencast Coal Mine. The reasons that Mr Javid gave in his letter, which is publically available, were the issues that Anne-Marie and the local community have campaigned tirelessly on.
Anne-Marie said “This is the right decision for the local community and reflects years of hard work to ensure that we protect our outstanding local environment. Sajid Javid made clear in his decision that the development would affect the landscape and visual beauty of an area of substantial significance. This was one of the key points that I have made, alongside the local community, throughout our opposition to this development.”
“This truly is the culmination of a real team effort, which shows that united communities can make a difference all the way down in Whitehall. This should give communities across the United Kingdom the hope that we can defend our local environment and those outstanding areas of natural beauty that are so important to our nation.”