Planning application for Sperrins mine could be lodged by end of November

A planning application for a gold mine in the Sperrins could be lodged by the end of next month.

The earliest possible date for the application would be 23rd November, according to planning officials.

Dalradian Gold says the site near Greencastle in County Tyrone could create over 400 jobs for the local area.

The Canadian Firm also have plans to build a cyanide processing plant in the area - a plan bitterly opposed by local residents.

That's after the Department of Infrastructure responded to an Assembly question tabled by West Tyrone MLA Daniel McCrossan.

The SDLP assemblyman asked "for an update on plans to mine gold in West Tyrone" late last month.

In its response the department said it "has not received a planning application for the project" as of yet.

And that in relation to Dalradian Gold's plans, a "Proposal of Application Notice (PAN)" was submitted to the Department on 30th August. 

"This sets out the formal consultation arrangements that Dalradian intend to undertake prior to submission of the gold mine planning application," the answer from the Department read. 

"A period of at least 12 weeks must elapse between giving the PAN to the Department and submitting any planning application. This means that the earliest an application could be submitted for the gold mine project is 23 November 2016," it continued. 

"The exact timing as to when a planning application will be submitted to my Department is a matter for DGL," it concluded.