Coal Authority rejects Cumbria development’s request for mining licences

The UK’s coal watchdog has refused to grant underground coal mining licences for a development in Cumbria that would have been the UK’s first coal mine in 30 years.

The Coal Authority, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Energy Department (DESNZ), rejected three applications from the developer West Cumbria Mining submitted in 2023.

The licences in question were among a number of outstanding permissions that the mine would require to start operating.

The Coal Authority, which looks at whether a proposed mine can be operated effectively and with sufficient financial guarantees, has not publicly revealed why it refused the applications.

But it comes after a High Court judge quashed the decision to grant planning permission for the coal mine in a landmark ruling earlier this month.

Climate campaign groups Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC) had taken legal action over the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government’s decision to grant planning permission in 2022.

In his ruling, Mr Justice Holgate said giving the go-ahead for the development under the assumption that the proposed mine would not produce a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions was “legally flawed”.

While the Government withdrew its defence in July, WCM continued to oppose the claim.

Documents shared online show the company had requested three licences from the Coal Authority, covering areas totalling almost 20,000 hectares.

The firm proposed operations would start during the first half of 2025, while all three applications included an anticipated coal extraction rate of up to four million tonnes per year.

Tony Bosworth, from the Friends of the Earth energy campaign, said the move was “surely the knock-out blow” for the development.

“Rather than staggering on, it’s time for West Cumbria Mining to throw in the towel,” he said.

“The Government must now work with local councils, businesses and the community to put West Cumbria at the heart of the green transition and give the region the investment, opportunities and jobs it desperately needs.”

Maggie Mason, of SLACC, said the organisation is “very pleased to see that the Coal Authority licences for West Cumbria Mining at Whitehaven have not been approved”.

She added: “We are sure that there are good reasons for this. Now is the time for local and central government to work together for sustainable jobs and a clean, healthy environment in the area.”

The decision came as the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station at Ratcliffe-on-Soar is due to close for the final time on Monday.

A DESNZ spokesperson said: “The decision not to grant West Cumbria Mining’s licence is a matter for the Coal Authority and relates to a historic application submitted last year.

“We want to bring an end to the country’s dependence on fossil fuel markets, including coal – and we’ve already taken immediate steps to unleash investment in clean homegrown power, supporting skilled jobs across the country.”