PRINCE Charles says he can do little to intervene in the row over RJB's plans to mine underneath flood-hit Naburn. But his undoubted concern about the proposal, expressed in a letter to the parish council, is an important intervention in itself.

The tacit message of support will be an enormous fillip to the villagers who are campaigning to stop RJB.

In one sense, this wrangle is as old as the industrial revolution. No one wants a colliery on their doorstep or a coal mine under their home. But for years mining has produced a vital energy source and created many jobs. It is a conflict never easily resolved.

Naburn is one of Greater York's most attractive and prosperous villages, as property prices confirm. And although residents have long been stoical about the neighbouring sewage works, they were always likely to protest against RJB Mining's plans.

RJB Mining, however, is the last bastion of Britain's coal industry. It is seeking to extend its activities to the edge of the Selby coalfield in order to help meet our energy needs, ensure its profits and safeguard jobs.

But on top of these age-old battles comes a new dimension: the floods. Prince Charles felt it was important to speak out because he witnessed at first hand the misery the floodwaters brought to Naburn last month. Mining under the village will cause it to sink, adding to future flooding problems.

RJB has pledged to build flood defences to protect the village from any increased risk. Understandably, residents would rather not have the risk at all.

The company has failed to reassure villagers. Too many unanswered questions remain: no one is at all certain how deep the subsidence will be, for example.

RJB's right to mine here dates back 24 years. Much has changed since then. It would be far better for an independent inquiry to reassess the plans now than to go-ahead and possibly live to regret it.