1992 - Page 8

Avenue Coking Plant Closed

In September 1992, the Avenue Coking Plant, first opened in 1963 was closed, following the decline for Sunbrite in the modern market. This was another major blow for local coal. One of the old Avenue 9/11 shafts was used for pumping water and the site would have deep environmental consequences due to the ground being contaminated with the by-products (2006) and would have to be detoxified.

The £ Devalued

Sterling crisis the £ was devalued and withdrawn from the ERM (Exchange Rate Mechanism).

Cory Coal

In the 1990s further contracts were won by Cory Coal at Grassmoor plant for blending plant and personnel at Bentinck, Bilsthorpe and Welbeck deep mines and also for Seymour opencast disposal site and also to the cement kilns at Padeswood Cement Works near Wrexham.

Joint Deputy Chairman Of British Coal Died Suddenly

Dr Ken Moses joint Deputy Chairman of British Coal died suddenly on 2nd October 1992. He had been appointed along with Albert Wheeler on 1st April.

Ken Moses (8366) had been Director of North Derbyshire Area in the past and Director at the Mines Research Establishment, Bretby.

His personal chauffeur, and a friend of mine Gordon Boam on being made redundant, immigrated to Cyprus (d 2012). He was previously a lorry driver at Moorgreen depot. Albert Wheeler (7349) would continue as sole Deputy Chairman. He was also Chairman of British Coal Opencast there being a great deal of open casting done in this region.

Crisis In The Industry

On 13th October 1992, J Neil Clarke, Chairman of British Coal announced that out of the sum total of 50 collieries in the country, 31 would have to cease production, (27 to be closed and 4 put on care and maintenance), due to the amount of coal that the power generators would need to purchase from British Coal in future. For example at PowerGens Ratcliffe power station in Nottinghamshire there was a huge mountain of coal stock, sufficient to last until next summer.

At the power stations throughout the country there was a total of almost 47 million tonnes of reserves (33mt at pits and 14mt at power stations) and the executives of PowerGen and National Power told British Coal executives that they would have to reduce their output tonnage substantially if they were the market, with an order for 40 million tonnes in 1993 falling to 30 million tonnes in subsequent years of the 5 year contract, with a substantial reduction in the price of the coal over the same period. What a body blow for the miners of the local pits where the greater part of the output went to the Trent-side power stations.

A dramatic statement was made in the House of Commons on the same day 13th October 1992, by the Conservative Minister of Trade and Industry Michael Heseltine, who announced that due to market forces these collieries would have to close, 10 of them immediately, including Silverhill and Cotgrave, with 7 Nottinghamshire pits in total to close with a loss of 6,000 men.

Pits That Would Close

Pits to close:

• Bevercotes sunk 1958 to 877m, 1.2m tonnes from 3 seams, Low Waterloo, Top Hard and Deep Soft, 807 men, to close by December 1992
• Bilsthorpe 1928, 873,000 tonnes from 2 seams, Parkgate and Blackshale/Ashgate, 935 men, to close by end of November 1992
• Calverton 1952, 860,000 tonnes from 2 seams, Abdy/Brinsley and High Hazles, 752 men, to close by March 1993
• Clipstone 1925, 970,000 tonnes from 2 seams, Yard and Deep Soft, 967 men, to close by March 1993
• Cotgrave 1964, 900,000 tonnes from 2 seams, Parkgate and Deep Hard, 620 men, to close immediately
• Rufford 1912, 980,000 tonnes from 3 seams, Blackshale/Ashgate, Yard and Blackshale to close end of December 1992
• Silverhill 1878, 930,000 tonnes from 3 seams, Yard, Blackshale and Piper, to close immediately.

Nottinghamshire Pits To Stay Open

Nottinghamshire pits to stay open:

• Annesley Bentinck 1860, 1.3m tonnes from one seam, Blackshale, 879 men
• Asfordby to start production 1994/95, target 2m tonnes from Deep Main with 472 men
• Harworth 1919. 1.9m tonnes from 2 seams, Swallow Wood and Deep Soft, 1203 men
• Ollerton 1926, 1.6m tonnes from one seam, Parkgate, 1019 men
• Thoresby 1928, 2.2m tonnes from one seam, Parkgate, 1212 men
• Welbeck 1915, 1.5m tonnes from Parkgate and Deep Soft, 1057 men.

Derbyshire Pits To Close

Derbyshire pits to close:

• Bolsover 1891, 650,000 tonnes from Blackshale, 494 men, to close end of October 1992
• Markham 1882, 4 shafts, 1.9m tonnes from 2 seams, 1296 men, to close by end of October 1992
• Shirebrook and Pleasley 1896 and 1872, 1.3m tonnes from 2 seams, 1005 men, to close end of November 1992.

Care And Maintenance

To be put on care and maintenance:

• Yorkshire pits: Maltby 1907, 1.3m tonnes, investment of £183, 1301 men
• Hatfield/Thorne merged Feb 1986, Hatfield produced 595,000 tonnes in 1987, 459 men.

Heseltine said that British Coal would need to reduce the yearly output by 25m tonnes.

Uproar In Parliament Over Pit Closures

On 19th October 1992 there was uproar in Parliament. Conservative backbenchers forced Michael Heseltine to review 21 of the proposed closures of 31 pits out of a total of 50 pits.

27 pits were to close and 4 put on care and maintenance. It was stated that there was no market for all the pits and there was a need to reduce output by 25m tonnes per year because of over capacity.

At Ratcliffe power station there were mountains of coal, sufficient to last into next year. It would mean that 30,000 jobs were to go. Many overseas producers were stated to have better geological conditions and lower labour costs.

British Coal was slowly reducing costs and although the industry would become more efficient there were certain things that could not be changed and British Coal had to compete with others in the World market.

There were rallies in London led by NUM President Arthur Scargill. UDM President Roy Lynk (later awarded the OBE) staged a ‘stay in’ underground in Silverhill pit bottom for several days as a token gesture. Of course it was to no avail. It had already been designated to close. The miners wanted a general strike. The TUC organised a campaign.

There was a Commons debate on 21st October 1992, and the Conservative Government was forced to grant more concessions.

On 25th October 1992, over 100,000 people demonstrated against the proposed pit closures.

Around a dozen NUM miners paraded up Springbank, Kirkby Road, Sutton carrying the banner and a large placard stating ‘Coal not Dole’. Very different from the days of 1970 when thousands paraded through the streets and attended rallies and all the local MPs and leaders of the union would attend.

By now 33 pits had been closed in Nottinghamshire since nationalisation in 1947 with a loss of numerous mining jobs plus even more numerous other jobs that lived off the backs of the miners. 27 pits were closed in North Derbyshire, 3 in South Derbyshire and 6 in Leicestershire in the same period.

Outputs

Output for 1992 Jan to Oct: The pits to close in Nottinghamshire:

• Bevercotes 877m deep, sunk in 1958 working 3 seams, Low Waterloo, Top Hard and Deep Soft, 1.2m tonnes, 807 men, to close by Dec 1992
• Bilsthorpe 1928, Parkgate and Blackshale/Ashgate 873,000 tonnes, 935 men by end of Nov 1992
• Calverton 1938 and 1952, 860,000 tonnes Abdy Brinsley and High Hazles, 752 men, by Mar 1993
• Clipstone 1925, 970,000 tonnes, Yard and Deep Soft, 967 men, by Mar 1993
• Cotgrave 1964, 900,000 tonnes, Parkgate and Deep Hard, 620 men, to close now
• Rufford, 1913, 980,000 tonnes, Blackshale/Ashgate, Yard and Blackshale, 806 men, close by end of Dec 1992
• Silverhill, 1875, 930,000 tonnes, Yard dev, Blackshale and Piper, 817 men to close now.

In North Derbyshire:

• Bolsover, 1891, 650,000 tonnes from Blackshale, 494 men, by end of Oct 1992
• Markham, 4 shafts, 1882, 1.9m tonnes, 2 seams, 1,296 men to close by end of Oct 1992
• Shirebrook, 1896, 1.3m tonnes from 2 seams, 1,005 men, by end of Nov 1992.

Pits To Remain Open

• Annesley Bentinck, 1860, 1.3m tonnes from Blackshale, 879 men
• Asfordby to start 1994/95, planned to produce 2m tonnes per year, 472 men
• Harworth, 1919/1921, 1.9m tonnes, Swallow Wood and Deep Soft, 1203 men
• Ollerton, 1923/25, 1.6m tonnes, Parkgate, 1019 men
• Thoresby, 1925/28, 2.2m tonnes, Parkgate, 1212 men
• Welbeck, 1912/15, 1.5m tonnes, Parkgate and Deep Soft, 1057 men.

Pits On Care And Maintenance

• Maltby, 1907, 1.3m tonnes, 1301 men, investment of 183m
• Hatfield/Thorne, merged 1986, Hatfield sunk in 1917, output 595,000 tonnes, 459 men.

Ten Pits To Close

British Coal withdrew its proposals and energy policy in general but entered into statutory consultations on the proposed closure of the 10 collieries irrespective of the review.

The defunct Pleasley North shaft, now part of Shirebrook colliery was filled with stone in October 1992.

Fact-Finding Visit To Silverhill

Richard Caborn MP (Lab), Chairman of the Trade and Industry Select Committee visited Silverhill and made an underground fact-finding visit.

Licensed Mines

• Amber Valley drift mine, Stretton, Derbyshire, (J Hudson) was re-opened having been stood for about 12 months, Blackshale seam.
• Strathfield colliery (H and C Hartshorne and Sons) Stretton, Tupton seam. Almost all the drift mines in North Derbyshire suffered from surface water running into the mine and usually had to be pumped out.

Moorside Drift Mine Closed

Moorside drift mine (Moorside Mining Co Ltd), Eckington, Derbyshire, Parkgate seam, was closed. Manager Derek Hammock. It was surrounded by old mines such as Swallows, Mosborough Moor, Holbrook No5, Mosbro Moor. Some of the men transferred to the new Eckington drift mine.

The Vache

The Vache, the NCB staff college at Chalfont St Giles where almost all higher management were sent for various courses lasting several weeks, (I went on a Specialists course in 1978) was now considered too large and put up for sale at £3m. There were 50 bedrooms and planning permission for further development on the 86 acre site.