OPPONENTS of a plan to create an opencast mine next to the historic Gibside Estate will urge councillors to reject the application when they meet to consider it tomorrow.

Hall Construction wants to mine land on the border of County Durham and Northumberland, near Burnopfield.

It involves the extraction of 480,000 tonnes of coal and 100,000 tonnes of clay from the 111-acre site over the next three years.

Gateshead Council estimates almost 100 lorries a day would be needed to serve the mine from 7am-7pm on weekdays.

The authority is advising its planning committee to postpone making a decision until more information is available about the environmental impact the plan would have.

But protesters, who have collected around 13,000 signatures on petitions, argue the bid should be thrown out.

Dr Jonathan Wallace, the Gateshead councillor for Whickham South and Sunniside, whose ward includes Gibside, has been leading the protest.

He said: "My view is the council has got sufficient material to make a decision on this.

"Everyone knows what impact it is going to have. It would be devastating and would sterilise the area for 20 years. That is how long the countryside will take to recover.

"It will affect tourism in the area and there will heavy lorries passing the front of people's houses on the A692. We should not be putting people through hell for three years."

The plan includes 13-metre-high mounds around the site to protect it from public view.

After the excavation, the site would be returned to agricultural use, with restored woodland, wetlands and bridleways.

Gateshead Council has received more than 750 letters of objection from residents and concerned environmental organisations.

A report prepared for the meeting concludes: "The council must be satisfied that the potential adverse visual, archaeological, hydrological, ecological, environmental and transport impacts are outweighed by material considerations, such as community benefits.

"In this respect, the additional information will now be the subject of further assessment by the council and statutory consultees.

"The issues will be the subject of an updated committee report."

The matter will be discussed by the planning committee at a special meeting at Gateshead Civic Centre at 1.30pm tomorrow.

Hall Construction declined to comment yesterday on the proposals.