Restoration work at the Ponesk opencast site is underway according to a report in the Cumnock Chronicle. The site, along with the adjacent Spireslack surface mine, was abandoned when Scottish Coal went into administration in early 2013.
East Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Mines Restoration Trust appointed Banks Mining as the contractor to carry out the restoration work at Ponesk. Work is reported to have commenced in July and is expected to continue for about 22 months.
The project will create new landscape across the site, in keeping with the local area, and will provide a number of new footpaths and tracks to provide improved public access, along with a range of wildlife habitats. The design also incorporates measures to address the risk of offsite pollution from existing water bodies.
Restoration work on the nearby Spireslack site will follow once the Ponesk project has been completed.