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Post by falentinvreigeist on Nov 18, 2011 12:01:08 GMT -5
Dear Coal, Colliery and Mining Forum!
My institution is working on a concept for a former coal mining area in Germany called Niederlausitz (Cottbus Guben Forst) close to Berlin and next to the Polish border. We are supposed to provide the mayors of this region with some recommendations for future activities. As GB already has gained more experience in re-configuring former coal mining areas, I wanted to ask some questions in this forum of experts:
1. How could we re-use the land? Some of the old coal mines are used as swimming lakes now (see attachment). But we need more ideas.
2. Is there a successful example of former British coal mining area which managed to stay competitive?
2.a. If yes, how did it do it - by installing attractions for tourism only or by other actions?
3. Are there any other forums for experts?
I know I am new at this forum.
Still I really would appreciate your help because GB has a longer history in coal mining. I am sure that we could learn something from you.
Kind regards
and thanks in advance
Mr.Vreigeist
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Post by falentinvreigeist on Nov 21, 2011 11:55:18 GMT -5
Wow  Thank you very much for the information. I am gonna look thru'em tomorrow at work |
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Post by dazbt on Nov 21, 2011 15:11:17 GMT -5
I haven't been involved in any of the reclamation schemes but I live in an area surrounded by dozens of old colliery and opencast sites, many of which have been 'reclaimed' in some way or other. Obviously there are so many variable influences and results of what previous mining has done to the landscape and general envioroment, spoil heaps, polluted soils and water catchments that each case of reclamtion proposals has to have different considerations. The majority of mines in this area were relatively old long term deep mines that left vast spoil heaps some of which have formed naturally vegetated features and others with some help have been converted into either wooded contours or even grazing hillsides for sheep and cattle and over a relatively short time have become accepted as 'natural' features, particularly by those who can't remember these now gentle green hills as black, smoking, burning, stinking, sharpened heaps. On the other hand the much more recently exploited areas of opencasted coal mines were often the subject of more considerate exploitation and were left in a more agreeable state, albeit often lower lying land that has lent its residual geography to becoming easily converted into lakes, either used for sports and recreation or with a little assistance returned to nature as wildlife habitat.
On a commercial basis it would seem that the most successful business ventures have resulted from converting the land left behind the numerous deep mined collieries to industrial units both large scale and areas of smaller collectives, recently we have also seen the increase in colliery land being used for housing estates.
Another factor that may be worthwhile considering is the viability of methane extraction from land already subteraniously fractured and perhaps suitable for simply tapping through strategic boreholes ............ a process that is being applied around here (albeit under some secrecy for whatever reason)
Dealing with pollution, not only of useable surface land but coping with the effect of disturbing residues and the contamination of natural water supplies is a fear beyond my capabilities, the fact that these days my tap water smells slightly sulphurous is somewhat offsett by the fact that from my kitchen window I now look over a rolling green hill that until a few years ago could well have been a filthy, black, stinking, burning mountain.
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Post by John on Nov 21, 2011 15:35:17 GMT -5
Sunderland AFC's new football stadium is built on an old colliery site, it's been named "The Stadium of Lights" in honour of all the miners who made their living beneath what is now the stadium.  |
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Post by falentinvreigeist on Nov 22, 2011 9:39:04 GMT -5
Hello!
First of all thank you very much for all of those diverse and interesting links as well as for your detailed description and your hint to the football stadium.
Browsing thru all these different links I somehow bumped into these two websites:
[www.coalfields-regen.org.uk]
[webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk]
They are writing very positively about some of your areas. I like the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's idea of the Family Employment Initiative. What do you think about it? Any opinions referring this initiative....
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Post by falentinvreigeist on Dec 6, 2011 4:49:09 GMT -5
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