A FIRM behind £1.5bn mine plans is holding public exhibitions on a proposed harbour.

Sirius Minerals wants to build a transport system at Bran Sands, Teesside.

The plans include a new quay, alongside ship loading equipment, buildings and a conveyor link to a proposed materials handling site at Wilton, near Redcar.

Bosses say it would handle the fertiliser mineral polyhalite from the company’s proposed mine under the North York Moors National Park, near Whitby, through a 36.5km underground system.

The development, known as the York Potash Project, could create about 1,000 jobs.

A planning application for the mine, transport system and handling facility are due to be submitted at the end of the month, with a decision expected in January next year.

An application for the harbour will be submitted in December.

The public exhibitions start on Wednesday, September 17 at Westfield Farm Community Centre, in Dormanstown, near Redcar, between 10am and 5pm, and from noon until 6.30pm at Tuned In, in Majuba Road, Redcar, the following day.

Further events will take place on Friday, September 26 from 10am until 5pm at Tuned In, and from 10am until 2pm at Westfield Farm the next day.

Gareth Edmunds, York Potash’s external affairs director, said: “The events are an important part of the company’s pre-application public consultation as it enables us to show the plans, answer any questions and gather detailed feedback on the proposals.

“The Tees Estuary is a well-established deep water port, which is ideally suited to providing shipping access to customers around the world.”

Last month, Sirius signed a five-year agreement with a distributor in Central America.

It already has agreements to send polyhalite to China, Latin America, the US and Africa.