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National park to expand planning focus on potash plan

Written by: Jez Abbott
Published on: 16 Dec 2016
Category:

Chris FranceThe North York Moors National Park Authority is looking to expand its planning team to help it deal with plans for a potash mining project near Whitby.

The mine is set to produce around an initial 10 million tonnes per year of polyhalite – a form of potash used in plant fertilizers.

Director of planning Chris France (pictured) told Planning: “Sirius Minerals has planning approval and has stated it wants to start the project next April. It is a huge undertaking.

“We need to create a bespoke team, which means taking on an extra senior minerals planner to help deal with implementation, make sure the many conditions are discharged and ensure the project goes ahead as smoothly as possible.

“This is a hundred-year project, so it could be seen as the most secure job in planning right now. This is a beautiful part of the country and we want to keep it that way.”

The planning authority is looking to recruit a senior minerals planner for the area.

The new recruit would join a team at the authority that currently numbers eight planners in development management and two in policy.

France added: “This really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a skilled and experienced mineral planner.”

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