Major plans to redevelop what was once the 海角视频's largest coal mine which could create nearly 700 jobs are expected to thrown out tonight amid fears over the area's green belt.
Planning chiefs at North Warwickshire Borough Council are set to dismiss an application by Harworth Estates to build more than 260,000 sq ft of new commercial buildings on the old Daw Mill colliery in Arley.
The colliery, which commenced operations in 1956, was closed following a fire in February 2013 which left around 650 miners out of work.
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Rotherham-based Harworth Estates has applied for outline permission to build up to 265,345 sq ft of industrial space and a depot to maintain rail infrastructure such as the stabling of trains and storage, handling and processing of railway-related materials.
The former colliery site covers around 108 acres while the application relates to 76 acres of this.
Harworth Estates' application has already been revised twice since originally lodged with a previous submission for 500,000 sq ft of industrial space reduced following concerns expressed by the local community.
A report prepared ahead of the meeting estimates the project will create up to 685 jobs but officers at the council have recommended members of its planning committee throw out the application when they meet this evening.
Concerns have been expressed about its potential "substantial" impact on the green belt and surrounding countryside.
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The report said: "It is agreed the proposal would deliver economic benefits and environmental gains and it would be reasonably consistent with sustainable development objectives.
"However, it would also give rise to substantial green belt harm which has to be accorded serious weight, given the importance attached to the green belt, together with other harm.
"As a consequence, taking into account all of the benefits of the proposal, the harm to the green belt has not been clearly outweighed and very special circumstances not provided to justify allowing the inappropriate development.
"The site is in a wholly rural location supported by a wholly rural highway infrastructure.
"The consequential impacts on the quality of the rural setting and the traffic impacts on that network will leave residual adverse impacts and with some doubt as to the certainty of mitigation.
"This shows the existence of an opportunity is not in itself justification for support where that would result in other harm."