Around 917 new homes, a business and commercial park expected to create over 1,000 new jobs, facilities including retail outlets, restaurants and cafes along with a medical centre, day nursery, community centre and parkland, are planned for the 300-acre former Prince of Wales Colliery site at Pontefract.
Members of Wakefield Council’s Planning Committee have unanimously approved the project which will be referred for government endorsement.
The Council has approved the site development masterplan; agreed the remediation and engineering works needed to create a development platform, and given the go-ahead for the removal of a million cubic metres (around 1.5 million tonnes) of coal slurry deposited on a tip before mining activities ceased six years ago. The former tip will be transformed into a leisure and recreation area with football pitches, club house, ponds and footpaths.
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Mining activities on the site, located adjacent to J32 of the M62 and close to the M1 and A1, date back to the 1860s, but ceased in August 2002.
Following initial discussions, a unique partnership was forged in July 2006 between UK Coal, Wakefield Council and other organisations with the objective of the site being developed as the gateway to a five-town renaissance in West Yorkshire.
UK Coal Chief Executive Jon Lloyd: "Wakefield’s decision is a major milestone in the regeneration of an area with excellent communication links, a versatile and enthusiastic workforce and a community with a desire to move forward. The close working relationship and understandings developed with all the interested parties over recent years augurs well for the future. We look forward to turning the blueprint of a new future into a reality."
(CD/NS)
