Longannet closure means end of Fife opencast coal mine

The impending closure of the Longannet power station near Kincardine has hastened the end of a massive Fife opencast site.

Hargreaves is to end coal extraction at its Muir Dean site on the outskirts of Crossgates, bringing coal’s reign in the Kingdom almost to an end.

It is not known how many jobs this will affect but a spokesman for the company said it would do everything to minimise the impact through redeployment.

Fife Council’s depute leader Lesley Laird said it showed the closure of Longannet at the end of next month was beginning to impact across Fife and beyond in terms of the coal industry and its associated suppliers.

The authority’s representative on the industrial communities alliance, Councillor Bob Young, added: “Activity at the Muir Dean site will now be geared solely towards restoration of the land there.

“This announcement by Hargreaves is likely to mark the end of major coal extraction in Fife and it is therefore a historically significant time for Fife’s mining communities and families.”

A spokesman for Hargreaves said the power station closure, decline in use of coal and mild weather had impacted on their plans.