Local MPs Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) and Dan Byles (North Warwickshire) have raised their concerns following an application submitted to North Warwickshire Borough Council seeking planning permission to redevelop the former Daw Mill Colliery.

The MPs have been open minded about the potential future use of the former coal mine, but have expressed concern to the Council about the planning application, saying that they are ‘far from convinced that the plan represents a sustainable solution for the site which is acceptable to local people.’

They have also urged the Council to exercise ‘extreme caution’ when it comes to deciding on the best use for the site, believing it could have ‘unintended consequences’.

Commenting on the application, Nuneaton’s MP Marcus Jones said: “Having looked at this situation carefully, and having been open minded and objective in our view, we can see that this may be a desirable site for employment to be created and we naturally welcome the creation of new jobs. That said, the scale of the development being proposed does seem somewhat disproportionate particularly in terms of the traffic and type of traffic that would put a massive strain on local infrastructure.

“At the current time, the roads serving the site in question do not seem adequate to cope with a high volume of heavy goods vehicles. This is particularly the case at the junction of the Tamworth and Birmingham Roads and the extremely dangerous road junction at Furnace End.”

“This site is not like other ex-coal mines in our area, such as Birch Coppice, Bermuda or Coventry Colliery, where successful mixed use developments have sustained a high volume of heavy goods distribution due to their close proximity and excellent links to the motorway network.”

The MPs have questioned whether Warwickshire County Council, as the local highways authority, is in a position to upgrade the existing road layout to cope with the likely influx of Heavy Goods Vehicles.

The MPs believe that if an employment use of the land is to be pursued, it would be more sensible that a business park or light industrial use be created, following the example of a similar scheme that has been created on the Royal Agricultural Society site at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire.

Adding, North Warwickshire MP Dan Byles said: “If the planning committee is minded to approve this application, we would urge that rigorous conditions be applied to any planning permission, particularly over traffic movements, to ensure that we are able to prevent the site having a detrimental impact on local people living in the area.”