Legal challenges against controversial plans for an £200 million coal mine off the coast of West Cumbria will be heard in court later this year.
The High Court has confirmed it will hold a three-day hearing from July 16 about West Cumbria Mining’s proposals to build the undersea coking coal mine off Whitehaven.
Following the July hearing, High Court judges will decide whether the Government’s approval of the mine in December 2022, following a planning inquiry in 2021, was lawful.
If they say it was not lawful, a new decision would be required.
West Cumbria Mining said it continued to focus on preparatory work before the start of real construction activity, which it estimated would be no later than 2025.
Workington MP Mark Jenkinson said: “I hope we can now put an end to the nonsense once and for all and move on with this project.
“The Cumbrian coal mine, will support UK steelmaking and reduce the UK’s carbon footprint, mitigating the need to import coking coal from overseas and curbing our reliance on hostile foreign states.
“I hope progress and common sense prevail.”
Campaigners against the mine include South Lakes Action on Climate Change, Coal Action Network, Friends of the Earth and Extinction Rebellion groups in the south and north Lakes.
Coal Action Network said: “Allowing this new coal mine now would release C02, methane and sulphur emissions; cost the UK in terms of its environment, climate leadership, and decarbonisation; and release contamination.
“Resources must instead be invested in generating green jobs within West Cumbria, proving that it is not a choice of jobs in climate-trashing industries or unemployment—as that’s not a choice to most people.”
