Mining proposal for Baronscourt Estate goes before planning officials

A TRUST created by the Duke of Abercorn over 30 years ago is seeking to invoke its permitted rights for mineral exploration on lands at Baronscourt near Newtownstewart.

The Mount Castle Trust was established by the present (5th) Duke of Abercorn in 1985 to hold the Baronscourt Estate together with rural properties in Scotland.

Its intention to invoke the permitted development rights was recently received by Derry City and Strabane District Council’s planning committee.

Officers from the council have revealed that the exploration will be carried out through bore holes with a hand-held mini core drill.

The work is expected to be completed within a three month time period, the council has said that no explosives will be used and that the area being examined is not an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or one of Special Scientific interest (ASSI).

The Minerals Prospecting Licence was granted to the Mount Castle Trust for lands around Baronscourt in 2016.

Councillors on the Derry City and Strabane Council’s planning committee discussed the issue last week.

Deposits

The prospecting licences will seek to see whether there are deposits of barite and it is intended to look for the material at eight different locations.

Barite is a stone used in, among other things, the manufacture of LED glass for TV and computer screens, and as a white pigment for textiles, paper and paint.

The intention of the Mount Castle Trust comes as another local anti-mining group called for letters of objection to an application for prospecting licences covering large parts of Mid-Tyrone, including those surrounding the Glenhordial Reservoir and into Killyclogher.

A petition calling for opposition to the proposal has also been launched by local campaigners.

Dalradian Gold has applied for a renewal of its prospecting licence covering an area of 65 square miles within the wider locality of Omagh.

The company previously carried out exploratory drilling in this area three years ago.

The group, Communities Against Mining in Omagh, have urged people to object to the renewal of the licences by writing to the Department for the Economy Minerals and Petroleum branch.

Prospecting licences have been issued for many areas of the north where minerals such as gold were identified as a result of geological surveys.