A GRANT has been awarded to council chiefs in Hartlepool, to investigate the condition of a disused mine covering almost 12 acres.
The £72,100 grant from the Government's new Land Stabilisation Programme, run by English Partnerships, will fund initial tests on the site of the anhydrite mine at Central Park, north of the West View and Cleveland Road junction, and south of Old Cemetery Road.
The investigation will include bore holes being drilled into the land to assess whether stabilisation work is required.
If work is deemed necessary, a further bid for funding from English Partnerships will be made.
The mine, which has been disused for 70 years, operated from 1925 to 1930 and was a rich source of anhydrite, a raw material used by the chemical industry.
It is thought to have become flooded by sea water.
Tim White, Hartlepool Borough Council's head of planning and economic development said the investigation was being carried out purely as a precautionary measure.
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