Michael Gove is the man who will make the decision over plans to create a £160 million mine off the coast of Whitehaven.
He has been named as Levelling Up Minister in Rishi Sunak’s new Government.
Following a lengthy planning inquiry, the Department for Levelling Up initially had until July 7 to make a decision as to whether the mine, mooted by West Cumbria Mining, could be built.
Mr Gove was the department’s minister until he was sacked on July 6 by Boris Johnson, just days before he was toppled as Prime Minister.
The decision was put back until August 17 and then delayed again until November 8.
It added: “This is a quasi-judicial decision so it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.”
Today, October 26, a spokesman said the decision was still due in November.
West Cumbria Mining’s planning application – despite being approved three times by Cumbria County Council – were called in by the then Housing, Communities and Local Government secretary Robert Jenrick after concerns over climate change and the UK’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions.
In August, Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said she was frustrated over the delay.
