Second rejection for mining plan

Plans for an opencast mine are rejected by planners

Plans for an opencast mine on the outskirts of Gateshead have been thrown out by councillors for a second time.

More than 16,000 protesters signed a petition claiming the scheme at Skon's Park, Whickham, near the Gibside Estate would damage the countryside.

County Durham-based, Hall Construction, wanted to extract 480,000 tonnes of coal from the site over three years.

The original application was turned down in October after it was handed in too late for consideration.

A new application by the construction firm was made but on Wednesday planners also turned it down.

Clog roads

A spokesman for the Council said: "Members were satisfied that, on the evidence and information they had in front of them, along with the weight of public feeling, there were more than sufficient grounds to warrant a refusal of the application for a number of reasons."

Hall Construction had said the mine would only operate for three years, and that the 45-hectare site would be turned into woodland.

Access to the mine would have been via Fellside Road, which links Burnopfield and Whickham.

Local councillor, Jonathan Wallace, who launched a petition against the move, said the mine would have attracted an extra 100 lorries a day and clogged up local roads.