A COAL company has insisted that its restoration of a proposed opencast site will ultimately enhance a country valley.

UK Coal is seeking planning permission to extract more than 520,000 tonnes of coal from the Bradley site, near Consett in County Durham over three-and-a-half years.

Residents have campaigned against the proposed opencast, claiming the mine would damage the countryside of the Pont Burn Valley.

But representatives of the mining company today (Wednesday, October 15) told a planning inquiry that restoration of the site would “provide significant landscape benefits and recreational benefits” and “a richer, more varied landscape character will be created”.

Giving evidence in support of UK Coal’s application, landscape design expert Gary Holliday told the inquiry at Leadgate Workmen’s Social Club and Institute: “The restoration scheme compromises a mosaic of habitats, including woodland, wetlands and open water features, species-rich grassland and new hedgerows.

“The landscape would be significantly more diverse and accessible than it is at present.

“The proposals would integrate with the existing landscape framework and would reflect and enhance the existing characteristics”.

He added; “The ultimate landscape and visual effects arising from the restoration proposals will be beneficial, enhancing the current scene.”

Durham County Council initially refused planning permission for the opencast, a decision which was upheld at an initial planning inquiry.

However, that inquiry is now being rerun after the decision was quashed on appeal at the High Court.

Under cross-examination from the county council’s legal representatives, Mr Holliday accepted that several of the site’s features would be lost if the opencast went ahead, including earthworks beside an old mineral line and a 150-year-old sunken lane, while holly-rich hedgerows would have to be relocated.

But, he said, while there would be temporary disruption during the operational life of the opencast, the landscape would be enhanced within five to six years of the completion of restoration work.

He said: “It is difficult to be able to pin down precisely, but at about that time the positives will start to outweigh the negatives.”

While he acknowledged it would take some natural features, such as hedgerows and newly-planted trees, longer to reach maturity, Mr Holliday said: “The fact that we have new planting next to old I don’t see as a bad thing.

“When they are first planted they are going to look new, but inevitably within a few years they will be established”.

He concluded: “The ultimate landscape and visual effects arising from the restoration proposals will have a moderately beneficial impact.”

The hearing is due to continue throughout October with a decision expected in the New Year.