What we really think about potash.

Earlier this month I wrote a very bland fact based piece about the plans for a potash mine not 10 miles from the CJS Office, read it here. 

This is more along the lines of what I wanted to say but being bound by CJS's rules of impartially didn't feel I could.

On the whole I think it could be a good thing for Whitby and I really hope they do use local labour as much as possible.  As long as Sirius stick to the plans I don't think it will be too damaging, in fact it looks like it will be less intrusive than the test rigs which have been lighting up the night sky and booming across the valley for the past few years.
I have two concerns one is more obvious: traffic.  The site is on a small B road, access onto the site from the road seems fine but the potential numbers of vehicles could be problematic.  Will they go through Ruswarp and Sneaton or along the Scarborough road and in from the other side? Both options present problems more particularly the Ruswarp route - the road is simply not wide enough and without demolishing buildings can't be widened. Scarborough road access looks a better choice but that means Whitby workers will be going through Helredale which is already under pressure from the industrial estate and the new Sainsbury's and Homebase stores which is already causing problems further back in the road network right into town.  Scarborough workers will be travelling across the moor via Cloughton (another very narrow, can't be widened road). Mention has been made of using a park and ride system, that sounds a good idea, Flyingdales used to bus workers on and off the base, it depends upon where the park section will be.  But, big but here, what about during the construction phase? Heavy machinery will be needed and it can't be teleported onto site.  I'm sure Sirius will talk about remedying any damage and no doubt upgrade the road but there is little mention of this in the proposals, or least those which are readily accessible (sorry, I'm not wading through the NPA's Planning Portal just to double check, it's not that vital).
My second concern is less visible: energy usage.  Boulby uses vast quantities of electricity, the new mine will use as much if not more with the plans to transport the extract underground.  How is the electricity going to be supplied to the site?  It was earlier this year that the area was blacked out by wet snow which caused wires to snap and poles to fall.  I many cases it was shown that the network was very old and in major need of an upgrade.  How is this ageing grid going to cope with the huge demands made by heavy industry?

No doubt answers to all these (and probably many more questions I've not yet thought of)  will become apparent in the fullness of time.