BUSINESS groups have restated their support for a proposed £1.7 billion potash mine in North Yorkshire ahead of a planning decision due next week.

Sirius Minerals is looking to mine polyhalite to sell as plant fertiliser through its York Potash project, with a planned mine in the North York Moors National Park at Sneaton, near Whitby.

The operation is set to create 1,000 jobs, and will extract up to 13 million tonnes of the mineral every year with a £1.1 billion annual contribution to UK GDP.

The proposals, which are due to be determined by the NorthYork Moors National Park Planning Authority on Tuesday, received a setback last week when the authority's planning officers released a report stating the mine's damage to the national park will outweigh any economical benefits.

It said the mine would also cause “substantial harm to the special qualities of the National Park, particularly the loss of tranquillity, dark night skies, and the sense of remoteness and openness."

Following the report, the York North Yorkshire and East Riding Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has issued an open letter to the National Park Authority stating the economic benefits represent an "opportunity that cannot be passed by".

LEP chairman Barry Dodd said: "Investment on such a huge scale is unprecedented in North Yorkshire.

"Even in a conservative scenario, it will boost the whole of North Yorkshire’s economy by a staggering six per cent and with the mine comes new jobs, jobs that are skilled and sustainable.

"Nationally the mine proposal has huge significance, contributing £150 million in taxes each year, the project will reduce the budget deficit, as well as a major amount of revenue, equating to 2.5 per cent of the UK trade deficit, that will be brought in through exports.

"This is an exceptional achievement for a single investment and the size and scale of the benefits will continue for multiple generations."

Also backing the plans is the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber president Suzanne Burnett said: "The project will provide a huge and very welcome boost to the North Yorkshire economy, generating much needed employment and securing long term economic growth.

"We are delighted that York Potash has committed to supporting North Yorkshire suppliers wherever possible and indeed many of our members have already registered their interest in the supply chain opportunities.

"We cannot over emphasize the economic benefit of this development particularly at a time when the public sector has shed jobs and the country continues to face economic challenges and uncertainty.

"We should not deny the opportunities that it will present for our young people to have a secure future in North Yorkshire."