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UK’s approval of new coal mine criticized as ‘deeply damaging


This image, taken in March 2021, shows the site where the new facility would be developed.

Christopher Furlong | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON — Plans for a deep coal mine in the northwest of England were given the green light by the U.K. government, a decision that’s been welcomed by its backers but slammed by critics.

In a statement reacting to the news, the firm behind the development said it was “delighted with the decision.”

West Cumbria Mining said the Woodhouse Colliery, in the county of Cumbria, would supply “the critical steel industry with a high-quality metallurgical coal product.” According to the business, the project will provide roughly 500 direct jobs.  

The U.K. has a long association with coal mining, but the industry’s decline hit many communities hard and is an emotive subject. The reasons for the government’s decisions were outlined in an extensive document published online on Wednesday.

Among other things, it said Michael Gove, the secretary of state for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, was “satisfied that there is currently a UK and European market for the coal … and that although there is no consensus on what future demand in the UK and Europe may be, it is highly likely that a global demand would remain.”

The approval for the Woodhouse Colliery was welcomed by Mike Starkie, the elected mayor of Copeland Borough Council in Cumbria. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s “The World Tonight” on Wednesday, Starkie, who is a member of the ruling Conservative Party, described himself as “absolutely thrilled.”

“I’ve been inundated with messages from across my community tonight, and we’ve got a community in celebration about one of the biggest positive economic impacts on our area in a generation,” he added. “This is fantastic news for West Cumbria and for our community.”

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Starkie’s enthusiasm was not shared by all. “Phasing out coal use is the clearest requirement of the global effort towards Net Zero,” Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee, an independent body which advises the U.K. government, said.

“We condemn, therefore, the Secretary of State’s decision to consent a new deep coal mine in Cumbria, contrary to our previous advice,” Deben added.

He went on to state that the United Kingdom’s “hard-fought global influence on climate” had been “diminished by today’s decision.”

Alongside the CCC, other organizations were also critical of the development moving forward. “This is an appalling decision,” Tony Bosworth, a campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said.

“Approving this mine is a misguided and deeply damaging mistake that flies in the face of all the evidence,” he added. “The mine isn’t needed, will add to global climate emissions, and won’t replace Russian coal.”

Greenpeace UK’s Policy Director, Doug Parr, said the mine would “do absolutely nothing for the UK’s energy security since the coal it contains can only be used for steelmaking, not generating power, and more than 80% of…



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