An application has been made to the Coal Authority for a conditional underground licence to secure rights for land near to Ripple (in East Kent).
Initially it is expected the company will carry out a feasibility study. If the outcome is positive the company would then have to apply for planning, access and other permissions before a new mine could be opened.
Coal mining in East Kent had a brief and very chequered history (which I will write about in more detail in another post one day when time permits).
The last mine closed in 1989 and today there is very little evidence remaining of the Kent coalfield. Winding gear has been removed, pit buildings demolished and spoil heaps landscaped.
Here are some old pictures I found of the Kent pits in their heyday to give an idea of what it was once like....
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