UK's first deep coal mine in 30 years should go ahead, council says

The first deep coal mine to be dug in the UK in 30 years should go ahead, a council has said, but only if the £165 million facility closes by 2049.

Cumbria county council has recommended permission be granted for the proposed new Woodhouse Colliery in Whitehaven.

The site was first granted planning permission last year but was subject to a judicial review brought by campaigners who argued that it was incompatible with the UK’s environmental aims. The company behind the plan, West Cumbria Mining, was forced to resubmit plans.

The council has now said it supports the colliery on the basis that it ceases operations by 2049, just one year ahead of the deadline for the country to become carbon neutral. It had originally planned to run for as long as 70 years.

But the office of Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told campaigners earlier this week that he would consider blocking the plan, should it get final approval by the council’s planning committee next week.

In a letter to campaigners from Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole, Mr Jenrick's office said: "Please be assured that the Secretary of State will give due consideration to your organisation’s representations and those submitted by other parties, when deciding whether to call in the application."

Critics said that the new plans ignored the need for emissions to be steadily reduced, and were not economically viable.

A report last year suggested that the new coal mine would produce 8.4m tonnes of CO2 per year, more than double the net annual emissions from the whole of Cumbria.

It also said the new mine would hinder the development of low carbon alternatives to conventional steel production.

The report, from think tank Green Alliance, disputed claims that the mine would reduce carbon emissions by 5.3 million tonnes over its lifetime by replacing energy intensive imports of steel.

The authors say the calculations ignore emissions from extraction and processing of the coal.

Around half of the coal that will be dug out of the mine will also be exported.

Rebecca Willis, one of the authors of the report, and a professor at Lancaster University said on Friday: “Telling the coal mine that they can keep on digging up fossil fuels until the very last day of 2049 is spectacularly irresponsible, and defies the scientific evidence on climate.

“By law, the UK is committed to reducing emissions year on year. You can't just pollute as much as you want, and then stop at midnight on 31 December 2049.”

John Barret, a professor in energy and climate policy said: “Clearly they don't understand climate change. It's the total emissions released that counts, not where we end up in 2050!”

The final decision will be made by the council’s planning committee.