Park chief voices fears as new plans delay looms for £1bn mine

The project to exploit one of the world’s most extensive seams of potash under the North York Moors National Park has already been beset by delays, and developers behind the controversial proposals confirmed yesterday that they are considering submitting a new planning application.

Directors from Sirius Minerals also revealed that they are now looking at including land outside the national park in the application, meaning North Yorkshire County Council would have to be brought into the planning process.

The North York Moors National Park Authority’s chief executive, Andy Wilson, told the Yorkshire Post that the decision to extend the boundary of the planning application to cover land where it holds mineral rights near Cloughton and Whitby could lead to “complications and the increased threat of legal action”.

He said: “The decision to pursue an application involving both the national park authority and the county council will mean that there could well be additional complications, increasing the likelihood of delays and the threat of a legal challenge if procedures are not correctly followed.

“We have had discussions with the company during which we advised against this course of action. It is therefore puzzling to learn that the company is considering submitting a new planning application that will involve both ourselves and the council.”

Mr Wilson highlighted the last so-called straddling application that the park authority had to deal with alongside the county council, which was hit by repeated delays before it was taken to public inquiry.

It was announced in June last year that Moorland Energy had been given the go-ahead to create a gas plant on the edge of the park at Thornton-le-Dale, more than two years after a planning application was submitted in April 2010. The plant will be one of the biggest operations of its kind in the north of England, although work has yet to start on the development.

Mr Wilson would not be drawn on projected timescales for when a decision could be reached on the plans for the potash mine, but he was adamant that the national park authority would work alongside the county council to “do everything possible” to ensure the planning process runs smoothly.

The managing director and chief executive of Sirius Minerals, Chris Fraser, maintained the same application would be sent to both the county council and the national park authority to determine the parts of the proposals that fall within their remit.

Mr Fraser also stressed that the company is confident that a revised timescale which was announced last month to submit a planning application by the summer of next year will be adhered to. A decision on the existing planning application had initially been due to be made by the North York Moors National Park Authority in July.

Mr Fraser said: “The company is making good progress towards the approvals needed for the York Potash Project and the involvement of the county council is unlikely to impact our current timescales given its minerals planning experience.”

Even before yesterday’s announcement, Mr Wilson had told the Yorkshire Post earlier this month that the total cost of dealing with the current planning application had reached £600,000 – although the bill is set to rise “by a very substantial figure” due to the latest delays.

If directors from Sirius Minerals decide to opt for a new application, the national park authority could be in line for a £90,000 windfall from planning fees. Mr Wilson also refused to speculate on any costs associated with dealing with a new application, although he claimed some money could be saved if work was shared with the county council’s own planning officers.

Sirius Minerals confirmed yesterday that it is “progressing various planning work streams and studies” and is holding regular meetings with the national park authority.