North York Moors potash mine gets £1.7bn go-ahead
by Helen Pidd Northern editor from on (#CXH0)
National park authority backs plan to dig mile-deep shaft under protected moorland and tunnel 16km inland from coast, with promise of 1,000 jobs
A small corner of one of Britain's most stunning national parks will be dug up to make way for a 1.7bn potash mine after locals were wooed with promises of more than 1,000 jobs - and the idea of restoring the proud mining heritage of the north-east of England.
After a four-year planning wrangle, members of the North York Moors National Park Authority were cheered on Tuesday when they narrowly gave the green light to UK firm Sirius Minerals - via its subsidiary York Potash - to dig a mile-deep shaft under heavily protected moorland overlooking Whitby and Robin Hood's Bay.
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