Thank you to everyone who gathered outside the Civic Centre yesterday evening to show their opposition to plans for a huge coal mine in Newcastle.

We joined local residents, members of the Green Party, Campaign to Protect Pont Valley and Extinction Rebellion to demonstrate the level of growing disquiet in the face of Banks' proposals to mine 800,000 tonnes of coal at Dewley Hill.

Incessant political point-scoring in the council meeting meant the Development and Allocations Plan was not considered until very late in the evening.

We have requested the council debates the petition, which now has more than 4,000 signatures, on Wednesday 3rd April.