DELIGHT and disappointment have both met this week’s decision to grant planning permission for a £1.7 billion potash mine in the North York Moors National Park.

The park’s planning authority’s knife-edge decision, made by eight votes for and seven against, comes four-and-a-half years after Sirius Minerals revealed plans to mine a seam of potash mineral polyhalite, to be sold as plant fertiliser, in an operation which will create 1,000 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain.

After test drilling confirmed the world’s thickest ever recorded seam of high-grade polyhalite, Sirius identified a farm and commercial forestry near Sneaton, Whitby, as the site for its sunken-headed mine, and set about working on its planning application for the UK’s first potash mine in more than 40 years.

The plans attracted controversy from the outset due to the location of the operation within a national park, and Tuesday’s decision to give the mine the go-ahead is already being disputed.

Chris France, the director of planning at the North York Moors National Park’s authority, said the Department for Communities and Local Government was considering calling the decision in, stating “they have asked for more details on why it was approved”.

Meanwhile the National Trust has also made requests to the Secretary of State to call in the application.

Harry Bowell, director of the north region at the National Trust, said: “We are extremely disappointed with the decision.

“The natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of National Parks give them the highest level of protection.

“To have a development of this scale going ahead within a protected landscape sets a worrying precedent for the future of all our National Parks.

“The significant traffic impacts and the damage that will be caused to the local tourism economy simply cannot be overstated.”

Speaking after the decision, Andy Wilson, chief executive of the North York Moors National Park Authority said: “Today’s decision is the culmination of hard work, of thorough examination and of in-depth discussions of the largest planning application this National Park, and indeed any English National Park, has had to consider.

“I appreciate that there will be many disappointed by today’s decision but members felt that the long-term benefits for the local, regional and national economy were transformational.

“This truly exceptional nature plus the measures proposed by the company to mitigate harm and deliver widespread environmental benefits to the Park over a long period of time tipped the balance in favour of approval.”

The economic benefits of the project have previously attracted support from business groups in the area.

Yesterday the York & North Yorkshire Chamber said it was delighted with the decision, with chamber president Suzanne Burnett stating: “The project will provide a huge and very welcome boost to the North Yorkshire economy, generating much needed employment and securing long term economic growth as well as providing much needed opportunities for our young people.”

Local authorities in the area also welcomed the news. Scarborough Borough Council said it was “absolutely delighted” by the “bold” and “momentous” decision, while North Yorkshire County Council said the benefits will be “huge”, claiming that while the status of National Parks must be protected, the Parks must also support their populations.”

Sirius Minerals has described the decision as “just the beginning” for the York Potash project.

Chris Fraser, chief executive of Sirius said: “We have made a major step forward and now have a pathway to reaching production.

“We are grateful to the members of the authority for their positive consideration of the application and we thank our many loyal supporters, investors and customers for their patience in helping us to get to this stage.

“The case for the project has always been compelling because it will not only generate so many jobs and economic benefits, but also because it is accompanied by such extensive mitigations, safeguards and environmentally sensitive design. We now look forward to delivering it.”