The site of Thoresby Colliery, the last deep mine in Nottinghamshire, could provide more than 1,000 jobs and hundreds of new homes if a planning application is approved.
The pit closed in July 2015 after 90 years, mkaing 360 miners redundant, but now an application has been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council to refurbish the site from Harworth Estates, a land and property regeneration company.
It says the site has the potential for 800 new-builds, ranging from apartments and starter homes to three bedroom houses and a retirement village.
Ex-miner and general secretary for the Nottingham area of the National Union of Miners Alan Spencer said: “I would like to see some links back to the coal industry and links to the coal mine, kind of like a heritage site.
“With the preservation side of things, there will be links with Sherwood Forest; with regards to the site itself, there’s not a lot else that can be done with it other than redeveloping.”
Video: Thoresby Colliery closed in July 2015
However Thoresby band chairman George Kennedy, who used to be a miner at the site, said he is ‘not happy’ with Harworth taking over.
He said: “I’m not happy that the colliery closed but I hope that Harworth will follow what they have said they will do.
“I’m not opposed to the land becoming housing because there does need to be more.
“I would however like to see more preservation of the old site and better facilities for the youth – there’s nothing really in the plans for them, there should be something like a youth club.”
Notts TV News has contacted Harworth for comment.
There are also plans to build a new primary school in the area, open a new country park and keep open space and green infrastructure.
The former spoil heap will provide a viewing platform with the site also having enough land to accommodate new parking.
Nottinghamshire County Council is currently promoting the extension of the Robin Hood line through re-opening the Dukeries line, which would stop off at Market Warsop, Edwinstowe and Ollerton.
The line has not been open since the 1950s.
A team of urban explorers, people who enter sites illegally and share pictures, took a look inside Thoresby in November last year.
A public meeting will be held on Saturday, February 11 at Edwinstowe Village Hall to discuss the proposals.
