High Court to hear appeal against rejection of plans to mine at Northumberland coast
North East employer Banks Mining will today appeal the decision to refuse planning permission to mine near Druridge Bay in Northumberland.
The plans were rejected by Secretary of State Sajid Javid earlier this year.
Banks Mining will challenge the decision at the High Court today after a judge ruled the company has an arguable claim.
The County Durham-headquartered firm gained unanimous approval for the Highthorn planning application from Northumberland County Council's planning committee in July 2016, only for the decision to subsequently be called in for review by the then Department for Communities and Local Government.
It led to a public inquiry into the project taking place last year.
Banks Mining lodged a challenge with the High Court to this decision on the grounds that there are serious errors in the legal basis on which it was made.
Gavin Styles, managing director at Banks Mining, says: