Potash mine compensation plan agreed in North York Moors

The funds will be paid to the authority by York Potash Ltd (Sirius Minerals) following the company’s successful planning application in 2015 for permission to create Woodsmith Mine.

As part of the planning consent, the firm is bound to what is known as a Section 106 agreement which provides financial compensation for the impact that the mine’s development will have on tourism, and the landscape and ecology of the national park.

Briony Fox, the North York Moors National Park Authority’s director of polyhalite projects, said: “The action plan will provide a framework to guide our work in delivering activity that compensates and mitigates for any adverse effects of the development on the National Park.”

As well as enhancing the Moors’ landscape and boosting the park’s profile to minimise an anticipated negative impact on the tourism economy, The Woodsmith Mine Compensation and Mitigation Action Plan will aim to offset 10 percent of the mine’s carbon emissions by increasing mixed deciduous woodland cover in the park by 7,155 hectares.

A report presented to authority members states: “The 100-year agreement provides for a range of activities that invest in promoting the National Park, add value to the landscape and ecological quality of the National Park, offset carbon emissions from the development and to cover monitoring and compliance costs.”

Proposals for how the money will be spent over the first four years of the plan were discussed and agreed to by authority members at a meeting in Helmsley earlier today.

Among the projects set to be funded during the mine’s construction phase, up to 2021, are conservation measures along the River Esk, new steps to access the beach at Port Mulgrave and an upgrade to a 4km stretch of the popular Coast to Coast walking route.

A footpath will be upgraded between Boggle Hole and Stoupe Beck Bridleway near Robin Hood’s Bay and woodland will be restored at Harwood Dale near Scarborough, while £25,000 has been set aside for engineers to investigate whether old railway tunnels from Sandsend can be opened to offer access to the north of the park.

Six-figure sums will be used to improve the promotion and marketing of the Moors as a tourism destination via Welcome to Yorkshire, VisitEngland and the North York Moors National Park Authority itself, as well as a £400,000 payout to cover the costs of improved road signs to the Moors along key routes in the north east of England.

Highlighting some of the ways in which the money will be used, Ms Fox said: “Projects delivered under the Landscape & Ecology contribution enable a range of projects to be delivered that directly compensate for impacts of the mine development whilst enhancing the natural environment or the experience for park users. Examples of this include the diversion of two bridleways and the installation of a new crossing on the A171 to make crossing this busy route much safe for horse riders, cyclists and walkers.

“Harwood Dale restoration will enhance woodland habitat damaged by a long history of off road vehicle access and enhancements and habitat restoration along the Coast to Coast path will enable better access for walkers as well as biodiversity benefits for wildlife in the Littlebeck and Maybeck areas.”

Ms Fox added: “The contributions made for the promotion of the North York Moors as a tourism destination will enable targeted campaigns locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to raise awareness of this wonderful area for visitors throughout the year. We will use opportunities such as the Cleveland Way 50th birthday in 2019 and Captain Cook 250th anniversary of his Endeavour voyage in 2018 as an opportunity for all of the tourism agencies to work together in promoting the region to encourage new visitors to the North York Moors and encourage existing visitors to stay longer or visit at different times of the year.”

Annual sums will be paid to the national park authority over the course of the Section 106 agreement with York Potash Ltd and the action plan sets out what will be spent during the mine’s construction and during its post-construction and operational phases.

New jobs have been created by the national park authority specifically to implement the plan.

Ms Fox will be assisted by a senior minerals planner, a woodland creation officer and a marketing and product development executive, and two existing jobs are being partly funded by the Section 106 money to manage the conservation and tourism elements of the plan.