Multi-million-pound plans to improve the Camborne-Redruth area are being threatened by uncertainty over the future of South Crofty Mine, an official report has revealed.

The mine site is described as the gateway to Pool in the regeneration plan but many consider it to be an eyesore. Commercial tin production stopped several years ago and plans to re-open the mine, now backed by a Bermudan-based company, have so far come to nothing.

In a report due to go before Cornwall county council's planning committee today, South Crofty Mine is said by a senior official to be "detrimental to the regeneration of the area."

Baseresult Holdings Ltd, South Crofty's owners, have permission to resume mining, but are legally required to submit a detailed scheme of conditions, working and restoration plans by September 27 to bring the plans up to date.

Baseresult have applied for a three-year time extension to submit this detailed scheme.

Mark Jones, head of spatial planning at Cornwall county council, said: "Enough is enough."

Speaking to the Packet he said time extensions had been given on a "piecemeal basis" for the last five years.

"Continued uncertainty about the future of the mine which is a key site within the area can only be detrimental to the regeneration of the area as a whole. This underlines my concern to bring the issue of planning permission for mining to a conclusion."

He has recommended to the council a six-month time extension be given, but no more after that.

Planning permission for South Crofty was first granted over 50 years ago. New legislation requires detailed schemes of operations, suitable for a modern mine including how noise will be controlled and how mine waste will be disposed of. Rather than continue to grant time extensions to update an old planning application, Mr Jones said he would rather see a new, more focused plan.

"I consider that to continue to grant time extensions on a piecemeal basis would be against the spirit of the legislation. There are uncertainties and significant environmental problems which may arise from the re-opening of a mine after a long period of closure and these should be properly addressed and controlled through modern planning conditions," he said.

Kevin Williams, managing director at Baseresult, said: "There is no uncertainty over the future of the mine. The mine is an operational tin mine in the initial stages of regeneration and refurbishment.

"Re-starting the mine is a long-term and complex process. We can only re-open it once so it must be done properly. Planning is therefore of the essence."

He said the mine and mining operation are incorporated in the Urban Framework Plan as part of the regeneration of Camborne, Pool and Redruth, therefore with the support of the Partnership Advisory Board.

"We are currently in discussion with Kerrier district council and other partners on regeneration."

He added the reason Baseresult applied for a time extension was to correlate all the relevant information to ensure the "final completion of an accurate and professional application to benefit the mine, the environment and the local community."