North Selby Mine site plans go on show (From York Press)

North Selby Mine site plans go on show

8:54am Friday 7th September 2012 in News By Dan Bean, dan.bean@thepress.co.uk

UPDATED plans to transform the site of a former mine into a renewable energy facility have been displayed to the public.

Dozens of residents from villages around the North Selby Mine at Deighton attended the exhibition on Wednesday, at White Rose House in Wheldrake, where representatives from UK Coal and Peel Environmental were available to address any concerns.

The £23.5 million scheme could create between 50 and 100 new jobs for the area, with an Anaerobic Digestion plant, which would recover heat and electricity from organic waste.

David Randon, chair of Wheldrake Parish Council, said the local authority had concerns about the scheme’s environmental impact, but the amended plans were an improvement.

He said: “It’s less unacceptable than the previous scheme.

“We have had private meetings with the developer at parish council and put to them a lot of questions and our ward councillor has done the same, so we have sought all kinds of information from them.

“They have partially improved the presentation to give more visual aids and ideas about how the finished product would look.”

However, Mr Randon said a number of the council’s concerns were still valid.

Richard Barker, Peel Environmental’s Development Manager, said: “We understand the concerns some people have about the scheme, and we’re working to ensure that we have the best possible solution to each of these through the planning process.”

The plans will be submitted to City of York Council early next month, and all comments received in the public consultation before September 26 will be included.