VILLAGERS are celebrating after Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott turned down plans for opencast coal mining near their homes.

He has upheld Durham County Council's decision to refuse a consortium, Eco Energy, planning permission to extract 735,000 tonnes from 144 acres of land between Coxhoe, Bowburn and Old Quarrington.

He took his decision on the recommendation of an inspector who chaired a public inquiry into the consortium's appeal against the decision earlier this year.

Residents, who feared the scheme would have a big impact on their quality of life, strongly opposed the scheme at the inquiry.

Richard Cowen, of the Bowburn Opencast Action Group, said: "Obviously we are absolutely delighted. Everybody here is elated at the decision.

"There are plans for wind turbines to deal with yet, which are part of a separate inquiry, but no date has been set for that yet.

"It might be that the consortium thinks twice about it in the light of the decision.''

Eco Energy's three-and-a-half-year scheme would have seen the site redeveloped with a hotel, fast food restaurant, pub and light industrial units along with the turbines.

The consortium said 10,000 tonnes of coal would have to be dug out anyway before the Bowburn to Wheatley Hill link road was built.

Mr Cowen, who lives at Old Quarrington, said: "It would have meant a lot of disruption, a lot of noise and we would have lost our access road and one well used bridle path.

"Generally, it would have meant a loss of amenity and it would have had a significant effect on our quality of life and our enjoyment of our homes.''

Among the grounds for the county council's decision to refuse planning permission were the scheme's proximity to people's homes, resulting in noise and dust disturbance and unsightly views.

Councillors considered that the mine would go against plans to regenerate the area and that it would disturb local wildlife.

Mr Prescott said the balance of planning issues "weighs heavily against the granting of planning permission".

A spokeswoman for the county council said: "We are pleased that the inspector and the Secretary of State have seen our point and upheld our decision to refuse permission for this scheme."

The Eco Energy Group could not be contacted for comment.