§ Mr. DoverTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect opencast coal mining has had on restoration of derelict land, extension of wildlife areas, extension of woodlands and hedgerows and development of recreation facilities over the past(a) five and (b) 10 years.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 24 March 1993]: We do not hold any such statistics centrally. However, Scottish Development Department circular 4/1984 on opencast coal mining requires development plans to include policies and proposals on the restoration and aftercare of such sites, in order to facilitate their beneficial reuse. It also requires planning authorities to consider the extent to which development proposals can contribute to longer term environmental improvements through such site restoration.
According to national statistics compiled by the County Planning Officers Society, including returns from Scottish local authorities, 2,525 hectares of land in Scotland received planning permission for opencast mining between 1988 and 1992; of this, 563 hectares was derelict land. In addition, some 1,708 hectares have already been restored and are now in aftercare.