The plans were jointly submitted in early 2019 and the site has been subject to two historic planning proposals, both of which were rejected, in 1994 and 1999.

The proposed site of the opencast mine sits within the Tyne & Wear Green Belt, and the landscape of this development-protected area would have been destroyed by its presence. It is also near designated Local Wildlife Sites, which may have been negatively impacted by the mining activity. Refusal of planning permission has saved a number of at-risk species, including farmland birds like skylark, lapwing and yellowhammer. It has also prevented bats and other protected species from the destruction of their habitat and disturbance from the blasting and bright lights.

In addition to saving our greenspaces and wildlife, the unanimous decision by Newcastle City Council to refuse planning permission is a great win for the climate too. Coal mining, and the continued reliance on coal-generated power and products, is the single biggest contributor to climate change globally. It would have been completely inappropriate to allow a new mine to be built in the current climate crisis.

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive is both relieved and grateful with the council’s decision to refuse permission for the proposed work to go ahead, he said: “This is a massive win for nature environment and local communities. Let’s see the energy and effort put into this inappropriate development now switch to creating new green sustainable jobs in green energy and see once and for all the end to these outmoded coal related development proposals on which no one’s future should depend. Nature and climate are in freefall and this going ahead would have been a combined disaster from both perspectives. It would have been totally unacceptable to open a new mine in the middle of a climate and extinction crisis and to try to do so during a worldwide health crisis would have been totally inappropriate.

“The coal industry is proven outmoded. We need clean and green solutions to energy and employment moving forward. With coal being phased out by the Government in five years, it would have been a travesty to start mining at this point. It is a shame that previous decisions to halt it were not lived up to earlier to prevent such a waste of money and time.

“This is a great result for nature, the climate and communities and signals that this Government is taking climate breakdown measures very seriously.”