Knock-out blow for Cumbrian coal mine?
- Coal Authority refuses to grant underground coal mining licences for controversial proposal
Plans to build a new coal mine in Cumbria look to have been dealt a knock-out blow after the Coal Authority refused to grant underground coal mining licences for the controversial scheme.
The coal mining licences in question were among a number of outstanding permissions and licences that the proposed mine requires.
Earlier this month planning permission for the proposed mine was overturned in the High Court following legal challenges by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC). West Cumbria Mining, the company behind the development, has yet to say whether it intends to appeal against the decision.
The Coal Authority has not publicly revealed why it has refused the licences.
Friends of the Earth energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said:
“This is surely the knock-out blow for this totally unnecessary coal mine. Rather than staggering on, it’s time for West Cumbria Mining to throw in the towel.
“The government must now work with local councils, businesses and the community to put West Cumbria at the heart of the green transition and give the region the investment, opportunities and jobs it desperately needs.”
Maggie Mason of South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC), said:
“SLACC is very pleased to see that the Coal Authority licences for West Cumbria Mining at Whitehaven have not been approved. We are sure that there are good reasons for this. Now is the time for local and central government to work together for sustainable jobs and a clean healthy environment in the area.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The Coal Authority is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. One of its functions is to decide whether to award licences to companies seeking to mine coal. It looks at whether a proposed mine can be operated effectively and with sufficient financial guarantees.
- Coal Authority’s refusal to grant underground coal mining licence: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/determination-of-woodhouse-colliery-licence-applications
- Planning permission for Whitehaven mine ruled unlawful: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/planning-permission-whitehaven-mine-ruled-unlawful