PLANS to create a leisure and office development powered by on-site wind turbines near Durham are to go before planning inspectors.

A consortium of construction, mining and energy specialists, the Eco Energy Group is fighting a decision to refuse permission to develop land at Old Quarrington, near Bowburn, Durham.

The group wants to create an opencast mine in the area, from which it will extract 750,000 tonnes of coal for three and a half years, in which time the group is anticipating a bypass between Bowburn and Wheatley Hill will be built.

Plans for the bypass have been approved and Eco Energy claims the road will create an isolated patch of land, which it plans to build office, hotel and leisure facilities on.

Another aspect of the company's plans involves erecting two wind turbines to power the development.

Planning permission to create the opencast mine were refused by Durham County Council at a hearing in January this year and the most recent part of the proposals to go before planning officials, to erect two 78m wind turbines at Old Quarrington, were turned down last week.

Councillors felt the turbines, which would be situated 400m from residents' homes, would dominate the landscape and spoil views of Durham Cathedral and castle, a World Heritage Site.

There has also been a forceful campaign against the plans from residents at Bowburn and Old Quarrington, who fear the massive impact it would have on their community. They have been backed by Durham City MP Gerry Steinberg.

Now Eco Energy has lodged appeals against the rejected planning applications.

A public inquiry into the opencast mine will take place on Tuesday,. May 13, 2003, at Bowburn Community Centre.