A FIRM planning to mine millions of tonnes of coal from the Cutacre Tip site has submitted amended proposals.

UK Coal, which won the right to mine at Over Hulton, in 2001, wants to extend the amount of time it has to start work on industrial units once mining is completed.

Last month the firm said they had revived plans to mine the land after the price of coal surged. Permission for industrial buildings on the land is due to expire in 2006, but the new application would extend the permission until 2009.

A spokesman for UK Coal said mining could start within the next 18 months.