The company behind the £160 million coal mine off the coast of Whitehaven have said legal challenges won’t stop construction starting this year.
West Cumbria Mining has revealed construction is set to start this September and last for two years – with coal production beginning in 2025.
The challenge aims to reverse the decision approving the UK’s first new coal mine in 30 years through a statutory review, which was put to Manchester’s High Court mid-January.
In a newsletter published by the firm, chief executive Mark Kirkbride, said: “This challenge is against the Government, not West Cumbria Mining. We are an interested party.
“West Cumbria Mining is very strongly of the view that there are no such grounds for any challenge to succeed. Planning permission remains live and fully in force throughout any challenge against the Government decision.
“As a result West Cumbria Mining intends to proactively proceed with all of the preparatory works and commence work later in 2023.”
The mine is set to be active for 25 years before it must cease production of coal and begin site restoration and remediation.
While the firm has reconfirmed it is committed to employing local people and businesses. It said talks will start this year with people who previously registered for work on the site in 2016.
Mr Kirkbride said: “West Cumbria Mining is not actively accepting further CVs at this stage but will advise in due course when the process will reopen.”
When recruitment reopens, West Cumbria Mining will hire based on specific roles and skills required for the work being carried out at each stage of construction, it said.
The newsletter added that initially, the firm will work with a small core team of experienced miners during the construction phase of the mine. This team, along with external training providers, will then train a new generation of miners that the firm aims to recruit locally.
Employees working underground are set to earn £65,000 a year and apprentices will earn a living wage, according to the firm. Further updates on jobs are set to come later this year, the company added.
The firm is currently engaging with several Cumbrian companies including major construction and rail specialists, IT providers and associated service companies it hopes will help build and run the mine. In summer, an event for local suppliers will be held as construction draws nearer.
Lakes College, based at Lillyhall, near Workington, is also set to work with West Cumbria Mining for training, apprenticeships and skills development.
Once the mine reaches full production in 2030, a total of six trains per day between 8am and 6pm on weekdays and Saturday mornings will transport the coal through Whitehaven on the Cumbrian Coast Line.
West Cumbria Mining said it has chosen a rail freight provider who will be using the quietest locomotives and wagons to minimise the noise and that the cargo trains will be timetabled around local passenger services.
Further public update events will take place over the summer but will focus on recruitment and supply chain issues, the company added.
