independent Cornish news and comment

Kerrier: HUGE DELIGHT AT BASERESULT

Staff of Baseresult Holdings Ltd, owners of South Crofty tin mine in Pool, warmly welcomed Cornwall County Council’s unanimous vote to approve the company’s Review of Mineral Planning Permissions (ROMPs) application today.


‘We are absolutely delighted with the planning committee’s decision and with the very favourable comments they made about the work we had put into it,’ said Kevin Williams, Managing Director. ‘We have had to devote a great deal of time, energy and resources to the application over the last three and a half years but, now that it has been determined, we can finally focus on our mine planning.

‘Today represents a very important milestone for South Crofty tin mine. With this application behind us and the support shown by members of the committee, we hope to be producing tin commercially within the next two to four years. We are not talking about mining just a small quantity of tin as a sideline either. Regardless of what some people have inferred, we are absolutely serious about full-scale tin production.’

Mr Williams also had this to say about the allegation that Baseresult’s mining plans conflicted with the outline planning application submitted by South Crofty Developments.

‘Officers of Cornwall County Council and Kerrier District Council have been advised for some time that Baseresult intends to relocate the surface operations of the mine towards the south of the site. One of the approvals at today’s meeting relates to the restoration of the site. South Crofty Developments planning application provides the opportunity for this to happen. It is, however, vital that any developer works very closely with us and that is why we have chosen one whom we know will be very sensitive to our mining requirements.’

‘With regard to the idea that no-one will want to live on top of a working mine, I would like to point out that much of our mining operations take place up to 2 miles from the main site, deep underground. There is no reason why any resident should be affected - particularly in view of the stringent environmental safeguards contained within our ROMPs report.’