A total of 1,800 miners worked at the colliery which closed in 1989

An disused mine in East Kent is being given a new lease of life with a multi-million pound redevelopment.

Betteshanger Colliery in Deal will be transformed to include a cycling centre, a country park, industrial units and an education and visitor centre when the scheme goes ahead.

The South East England Development Agency (Seeda) is putting forward the proposals for the 290 acre site which will cost �18.7m.

The colliery was once the workplace of 1,800 miners but it closed in 1989.

It is estimated about 300 jobs will be created with the new development with more in the longer term.

Balanced and holistic

Robert Rummey, from Rummey Design Associates, which is involved in the redevelopment plans, said: "There are very major environmental works there are new things like new sewage treatment works which are long over due.

"There's an evironment or country park, a cycling park on the tip part of the site so it is a very balanced holistic kind of scheme."

The site incorporates two separate areas linked by a disused railway line.

Under the proposals, the former colliery site will eventually have up to 20,000 sqm of new employment space and a 3,000 sqm innovation centre, providing small office suites for start-up businesses.

The tip site will focus on nature and wildlife preservation, recreation and education and include the cycling facitlities and visitor centre.