at A PROPOSAL to extract about 474,000 tonnes of coal from a wide area of rolling farmland was strongly opposed by councillors yesterday.

The plan was to dig the fuel from 345 acres of mainly arable and mixed farmland east of the village of Evenwood and south of West Auckland.

Members of Teesdale District Council were told an executive committee meeting that the open-cast scheme would take about four years to complete.

Pat Graham, senior planning policy officer, said that so far no detailed method of working or restoration scheme for the site had been submitted.

She added that in topographical terms the visual impact of the workings would be screened from the residents of both Evenwood and West Auckland.

"But the workings would be highly visible from the A688 road, one of the strategic routes into Teesdale," she told the committee.

"For some years, efforts have been undertaken in this and other former coalfield areas to remove visible traces of the mining industry.

"The possibility of inflicting further environmental and visual impact does not seem to be either rational or necessary, particularly for such a short-term economic benefit."

Councillors agreed and a reply giving these views will be sent to Durham County Council, which will deal with the application once full details about it are submitted.