A MINE could open in a Huddersfield village.

Gordon Harrison Ltd has asked Kirklees Council for permission to extract coal and clay from land in Clayton West.

Villagers have been urged to have their say on the plan for open-cast mining at the land off Litherop Lane.

Clr John Cook yesterday encouraged residents in Clayton West to attend a meeting about the plan next week.

The Denby Dale Conservative said: “I’m trying to make sure as many people as possible know about this so they have a chance to air their views.”

Gordon Harrison Ltd hopes to extract 200,000 tonnes of coal and 100,000 tonnes of clay from two fields next to the former Park Mill Colliery.

Clr Cook said: “I have an open view on this.

“I don’t think the location will be disruptive for too many people, except for those who are travelling to work in the morning.”

If the plan goes ahead, lorries will take the produce to either Junction 38 or 39 of the M1.

Depending on the quality of the coal, it will be taken either to Kellingley Colliery near Knottingley for blending, or straight to Drax power station near Selby.

The clay at the site is believed to be fire clay, which is used to make bricks.

Gordon Harrison Ltd want to mine at the site for two-and-a-half years. After the work has finished, the company would restore the fields, plant new trees and set up a bridal path from Litherop Lane to Bower Hill.

Clr Cook believes the open-cast mine could benefit Clayton West.

He said: “Kirklees Council is doing an environmental study of the site, but I’m not privy to that at the moment.

“There’s more environmental restrictions on what you can do these days, which is probably a very good thing.

“There will also be about 12 jobs on the site and I understand the company is hoping to recruit locally, if there’s any machine-men left around here.”

Clr Cook believes the site could turn out to be the final open-cast mine in the area.

“I was brought up in the 50s when this was a big mining area and there was a heck of a lot of out-cropping going on. It was a way of life,” he said.

“This will probably be the last open-cast mine we will ever see in Clayton West. The coal that’s left is in drift mines.”

Gordon Harrison Ltd is hosting an open evening about its plan at Scissett Working Men’s Club from 4pm to 8pm next Tuesday.