A PUBLIC inquiry into the future of a former mine in the district continues today.

Planning inspector Edward Simpson is set to hear from representatives of UK Coal at this morning's session of the company's appeal against Selby District Council.

Paul Edwards, a planning consultant working for the council, Richard Wood, of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly, and Eileen Scothern, the council's principal development officer, have already given evidence.

The inquiry, which is being held at The Parsonage Hotel, Escrick, began on Wednesday last week and is due to finish on Thursday.

Site owner UK Coal has appealed a decision by the district council not to lift restrictions imposed on the original planning permission for the mine at Riccall.

The restrictions state the site must be returned to its original agricultural use once mining there stops.

The facility has been closed for two-and-a-half years, but mining buildings still remain on the site.

The mine opened in 1983 as part of the Selby Coalfield, which also had operations at Wistow, Stillingfleet, Whitemoor, North Selby and Gascoigne Wood.

The coalfield was closed earlier than expected due to problems with the seam. Coal bosses had expected to mine 250 million tonnes of the fossil fuel from the Selby complex, but problems with the geology slowed production and only 120 million tonnes was taken out of the ground.

The future of the mine has split opinion locally. As reported in The Press, Riccall Parish Council has backed redevelopment of the site, while district councillor Liz Casling has remained strongly opposed to the scheme, branding UK Coal claims that it wants to develop former mining sites to benefit local communities "a load of rubbish".

Parish councillor John Duggan said: "I still feel the site has potential as a commercial site, rather than using it to grow grass to keep sheep on.

"The mining site is not prime land - it used to be part of Skipwith Common.

"I've said all along, I would like to see good-quality jobs suitable to the area and the environment going on there."

He said the parish council had listened to a presentation by UK Coal, which had persuaded them that redevelopment would be in the village's interest.