Date announced for submission of £1bn potash mining scheme

THE COMPANY behind plans for a potash mine in the North York Moors revealed yesterday that it expects to submit revised proposals for planning permission this autumn.

York Potash has previously said it hoped to submit the revised planning application for the mining operation at Sneaton, near Whitby, this summer, but it has now confirmed it is aiming for September.

The firm is planning to replace a previous pipeline scheme for carrying polyhalite between the mine earmarked for farmland in the North York Moors 
National Park and the port operations in Teesside with an underground mineral transport system that will contain linked conveyor belts to move the material.

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York Potash’s parent company, Sirius Minerals, said delaying the mine application meant it could be considered along with the application for the mineral transport system.

Chris Fraser, managing director and CEO of Sirius Minerals, said: “We have had productive and wide-ranging pre-application engagement with the authority officers and advisers over the past 9 to 12 months and aligning the 
submissions should make the process more straightforward and therefore is beneficial to all parties.

“We believe this is the most productive way forward, particularly as this doesn’t impact the overall project schedule.”

Concerns had been voiced 
over the firm’s initial plans to transport potash, a key component of fertiliser, through some of Britain’s most sensitive protected environments.

But the company claims the new transport system will minimise the impact on the environment.

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