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The government is “summoning” a controversial plan for a new deep coal mine in Cumbria, according to a letter seen by The independent.
Robert Jenrick, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, has decided to intervene in the plans for the mine after “further controversy” surrounding the application, the letter says.
The project, which would be the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years, has faced opposition from leading climate scientists, activists and politicians since it was first proposed in 2019.
The government has been criticized for refusing to intervene in the plans, which have been approved by the Cumbria City Council on three separate occasions. Last month, the council announced that it would revisit the plans in light of “new information.”
The letter, from a planning decision officer at the ministry, says Jenrick plans to conduct a public inquiry into the mine, adding that her decision to intervene comes in light of a recent report by independent UK climate advisers.
It reads: “The secretary of state has decided to cancel this application due to further developments since his original decision.
“The recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change for the sixth carbon budget have been published since it was informed of this decision.
“The Secretary of State recognizes that proponents and opponents take different positions on the matter and considers that this should be explored during a public investigation. In addition, controversy over the application has increased. “
The proposed mine near Whitehaven in West Cumbria would produce coking coal for use in steel production.
But the CCC report, which was released in December, said the UK must stop using coal in steel production in the coming decades if the country is to meet its legal goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
And in a letter published in early February, Lord Deben, chairman of the CCC, said the government’s inaction on the proposals gave a “negative impression of the UK’s climate priorities.”
He wrote: “The opening of a new deep coking coal mine in Cumbria will increase global emissions and have an appreciable impact on the UK’s legally binding carbon budgets.”
Reacting to the news, Tim Farron, a former Liberal Democrat leader and environmental spokesman for the party, said: “It is fantastic that the government has finally realized that this mine would be an all-powerful step back in our fight against climate change.
“In the year Britain hosts Cop26, it is obvious that we will not be taken seriously on the world stage with this coal mine hanging around our necks.
“I hope that this public inquiry leads to these plans finally being scrapped, and that the government, instead, seeks to bring long-term, well-paying green jobs to Cumbria.”
Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said “the history of this mine is a symptom of a government that does not take its climate ambitions seriously.”
“After months of pressure, the ministers have finally been forced to act,” he said.
“The truth is that this mine is terrible for our fight against climate change, it will not help our steel industry and it will not create safe jobs.
“The government must now blockade the mine and instead focus on real solutions to secure the long-term future of UK steel and create low-carbon jobs in Cumbria and across the country.”
In defense of its decision not to intervene until now, the government has repeatedly described the planned Cumbrian coal mine as a “local problem,” a term that has been derided by scientists and environmental activists.
Tony Bosworth, a climate activist with Friends of the Earth, described the decision as a “surprising but very welcome U-turn.”
“A new coal mine in Cumbria would not only ruin our climate, it would also destroy the credibility of the UK government ahead of the crucial climate talks in Glasgow later this year,” he said.
“Planning permission must be denied: ending the use of coal, whether for power generation or for industry, is crucial to tackling the climate emergency.”
The independent he has approached the government for comment.
