Ministers urged to intervene as
potash mine decision delayed

The long-awaited outcome on whether the go-ahead should be given for the proposals to create the first mining operation of its kind in the UK for more than 40 years will now be held at the end of next month.

The North York Moors National Park Authority is expected to meet on July 29 to debate a planning application which was submitted by developers from York Potash Ltd at the end of January.

The meeting had been scheduled for July 2, but it was announced on Tuesday that it had been pushed back four weeks to allow consultations on new data which York Potash has compiled to allay concerns from Natural England and the Environment Agency about hydrology and the environmental impact.

However, the Campaign for National Parks has now urged Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles to hold a public inquiry to decide the fate of the proposals after voicing concerns over the planning process.

The North York Moors National Park Authority will decide on the actual mining operation, which is earmarked for farmland near Sneaton to the south of Whitby.

But a decision on a 27-mile pipeline to transport the mineral to a proposed processing plant in Teesside, half of which would go through the national park, will be determined by the National Infrastructure Directorate, which will also decide on the plans for the port facilities in Teesside.

The chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks, Helen Jackson, said: “We’re very concerned about the threat that this mine poses for the North York Moors but this project also has much wider significance, as the decisions made about it will be an important test of the protection afforded to national parks in the National Planning Policy Framework.

“National parks are protected in law for good reasons. Not only are they extraordinary landscapes providing clean water, wildlife habitats and benefits critical to a healthy environment but they also contribute significantly to the national economy.”

The Campaign for National Parks has formally objected to the planning application on the grounds that it does not pass the major development test, which only allows schemes of this scale in a national park in exceptional circumstances.

The charity has claimed York Potash has not provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate why the minehead cannot be located outside the confines of the park.

Chris Fraser, the chief executive of York Potash’s parent company, Sirius Minerals, was adamant the decision should be taken by the national park authority, which he claimed has the “most detailed knowledge of the local environment, community and economy”.

He added: “The York Potash Project has an exceptional level of public support and has already undergone robust scrutiny, consultation and environmental studies, so there is simply no need to add unnecessary delays to the existing planning process.”

The firm has claimed the mine is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs and a further 4,000 jobs in the wider economy. Exploratory drilling work has pinpointed one of the world’s most extensive seams of potash, a key component in fertiliser to boost crop yields.

Senior company officials will meet with councillors from Scarborough Borough Council at a public cabinet meeting on Tuesday next week to provide an update.

Council leader Tom Fox said: “This is a key meeting as it will be the final opportunity for the company to inform elected members of any developments before a decision is taken by the national park authority on the planning application.”

Letters: Page 12.