Plans have been approved to build up to 800 new homes at the former Thoresby Colliery in Nottinghamshire.

The redevelopment involves building hundreds of new houses plus 250,000 sq. ft of employment space across the 450-acre site adjacent to Sherwood Forest.

Harworth Group acquired the site in October 2015, following the closure of the colliery – the Midlands’ final deep mine – in July 2015. Over the last two years, the Group has carried out site safety and security works, including demolishing redundant industrial structures, as well as masterplanning the site for future uses.

The current 'masterplan' provides for new housing, a retirement village, a primary school, a 25-acre business park, leisure facilities, and a 300-acre country park. Overall, up to 500 jobs are expected to be created.

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The first phase of residential land, for approximately 150 homes, is expected to be ready towards the end of 2018.

Elsewhere, planning consent has been secured for a major new commercial development at the site of the former Alcan Rio Tinto Smelter in Northumberland.

The scheme will provide up to 1.3 million sq ft of manufacturing, distribution and local start-up space across a 175-acre site.

Owen Michaelson, Chief Executive of Harworth, said: "Securing a resolution to grant planning permission for both of these well-located major redevelopments, which will deliver homes, jobs and investment to the Midlands and North East, is a significant achievement for Harworth.  It is also further demonstration of our team’s expertise in taking complex industrial sites and, through our planning expertise, transforming them into sustainable developments for the benefit of local communities.

"This type of planning success continues to underpin our strategy of maximising value gains from our significant land bank to drive long term value for shareholders, whilst cementing Harworth’s reputation as the leading provider of sustainable regeneration projects across the North of England and the Midlands."

(LM/MH)