Pit work piles on pressure

Up to 150 lorry-loads of soil, stones and fuel ash could be transported past Ollerton per day as part of proposals to transform Welbeck Colliery into a green space.

Around 1.9m cubic metres of materials would be required under UK Coal’s plans to restore the spoil tip.

Ollerton and Boughton town councillors objected to the plans, saying the vehicle movements would further damage Ollerton roundabout, which is in desperate need of repair.

Mr Stan Crawford said a lot of the materials would be transported by rail.

He asked: “If they can bring some of the material in by rail why not all of it? If it extends their time frame, that is not our problem. We are talking about the effects on the community.

“Even if 50% of the vehicles went across the roundabout that is still 150 movements a day on a roundabout that needs to be improved.”

Mr Crawford said dirt would be spread on to Ollerton streets from cars using the roundabout.

Mr Tony Spratley said heavy lorries could do a lot of damage to the road’s surface.

“It would be the equivalent of one lorry every five minutes,” he said. “It is not in the interest of the community that this goes forward.”

The planning application on the county council’s website states the landscaping scheme on the southern part of the colliery site has been completed.

However, because work at the pit ceased earlier than forecast, there is insufficient spoil on site to complete approved land formations, hence the need to import from outside the area.

The application says wheel washing facilities on site would minimise effects of dirt.

It went on: “It is considered that there would not be an adverse impact on the local highway network caused by dust and dirt.”

The lorries would operate from 7am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and from 8pm to 1pm on Saturdays.