PROPOSALS to work an opencast coal mine in fields between three villages look likely to be rejected next week.

Durham County Council's planning committee will be recommended on Wednesday to throw out an application by the Eco Energy Group to mine 750,000 tonnes over three-and-a-half years from a 58.1 hectare site between Coxhoe, Bowburn and Old Quarrington.

The plan has run into opposition from residents, Durham City Council, Durham MP Gerry Steinberg, Cassop cum Quarrington and Kelloe parish councils, the Council for the Protection of Rural England and the Durham Wildlife Trust.

The council has received 112 letters of objection and protest petitions containing more than 500 signatures.

Residents, who re-formed the Bowburn Opencast Action Group to fight the scheme, are worried about the effect of dust, noise and pollution from the site and the impact of the 100 lorries that will carry coal to Yorkshire power stations each day.

The group is also concerned that the site will be next to the cemetery at Old Quarrington and that several houses are less than 250 metres from the site boundary.

The consortium is offering as "planning gain'' to stabilise a small section of the proposed route of the Bowburn to Wheatley Hill road corridor.

It lodged duplicate applications for the scheme and has lodged an appeal against the council's failure to decide on one of them within the statutory time.

The county council's head of planning John Suckling has said in a report to the committee that the applications are "seriously lacking in adequate information necessary to undertake full environmental assessment.

"Accordingly, the committee has not the means to be satisfied that no detriment to the environment or communities would result from the proposed development and/or that sufficient mitigation measures are to be provided," he said.

The workings would be obtrusive, could be seen from the nearby A1(M) and would affect a large number of residents.

Mr Suckling said that the scheme conflicts with development plan policies and that the proposed restoration scheme was "below standard".

The committee will also be told that the council hopes to stabilise the route of the Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link Road without "widespread advance opencasting".