Mixed reactions as UK govt opts not to block new coal mine

The UK government's decision not to block plans for the country's first deep coal mine in 30 years has been met with mixed reactions locally and beyond.

The plans for the new £165 million (€183.1 million) Woodhouse Colliery, near the town of Whitehaven, were approved by Cumbria County Council in October. 

Campaigners against the project were hoping that the government would call in the proposals for an inquiry, but communities secretary Robert Jenrick has now said that he is "content that it should be determined by the local planning authority".

"The policy makes it clear that the power to call in a case will only be used very selectively. The government is committed to giving more power to councils and communities to make their own decisions on planning issues, and believes planning decisions should be made at the local level wherever possible," added Jenrick.

West Cumbria Mining has been developing plans for the creation of a new coal mine since 2014. The facility will take coking coal from beneath the Irish Sea to be used in the production of steel both in the UK and mainland Europe. 

The company says the mine will create 500 new jobs and that it will pay into a community fund for ten years.

Also read: EU nations still subsidising fossil fuels, new report says

West Cumbria Mining CEO Mark Kirkbride said: "I am delighted that the holding direction has been lifted following what has been an extremely rigorous planning process. My team and I are now looking forward to concluding planning sign-off and then being able to commence preparatory steps to begin site work later this year".

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison (Con), in whose constituency the mine will be located, added her voice of support. 

"West Cumbria Mining will be an innovative leader in coking coal extraction. I welcome the news that the government has decided not to call in the original planning decision."

"I would now urge West Cumbria Mining and Cumbria County Council to work closely together on the remaining legal planning obligations to get this project over the line," she added.

Mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie (Con) said that the mine was good for the region, adding "This is a significant employment and new skills opportunity for Copeland and West Cumbria at this extremely challenging time, and will play a significant role in our economic recovery.

“This project has had my support since day one, as well as that of Copeland Council, our community and businesses, and it is extremely welcome news that it has taken this significant step forward.”

Though not everyone is happy with the government's decision with most opposing the mine on environmental grounds and pointing out that it goes against the UK's climate plans and against parliament's own wishes.

In November 2015, when David Cameron was Prime Minister, energy secretary Amber Rudd announced plans to phase out coal-fired power plants by 2025 and replace it with gas and nuclear plants.

In June 2019, Prime Minister Theresa May's plans for a net-zero emissions UK by 2050 were approved by parliament, making it the first country in the world to legislate such an ambitious target.

Also read: Can the UK really be a zero-emissions nation?

Last June, the UK marked two months without burning coal to generate power, partly enabled by a drop in demand due to Covid-19 restrictions. Ten years previously, 40% of the UK's energy came from coal-fired power plants. 

Friends of the Earth coal campaigner Tony Bosworth described the decision as "jaw-dropping inconsistency".

“Allowing coal to be extracted from this proposed mine for over a quarter of a century completely undermines the government’s credibility on the climate crisis – especially ahead of the crucial UN summit later this year, which the UK is hosting.

“Global leadership on the climate emergency means leaving coal in the ground, where it belongs," he said.

Friends of the Earth has outlined a number of reasons why a new deep coal mine should be rejected.

As well as the increased emissions and damage to the environment caused by underground drilling, the group says that there are huge doubts about a market for the coal beyond the very short-term with many steel producers looking for alternative power sources.

Also read: EU 'completely ignoring' climate-neutral tech in steel, cement & chemicals

These doubts were echoed by Jenrick himself last September when he turned down proposals for an open cast mine in Northumberland.

Former leader of the Liberal Democrat party Tim Farron took to Twitter, describing the choice as "an almighty backwards step in the fight against climate change".

The news has also received international condemnation from environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg who said that the decision betrayed the government's true definition of "net-zero".

West Cumbria Mining has played down the concerns of campaigners, saying that its intentions are "to be a world-class mine, with the highest standards of operational performance, employee relations and to always be a good neighbour."

The company says that as well as providing jobs in the area, and paying into a community fund, it has financed over 300 different independent ecological surveys, which have allowed for "technically informed and scientifically evidence-based decisions about how best to follow a careful process of ecological mitigation and habitat improvement."

It has also said that it will invest in carbon offsetting and is looking at the benefits of a 'carbon sink scheme' which includes tree planting and restoration of wetlands.

West Cumbria Mining has also come under fire from the Tax Justice Network over its parent companies alledged use of tax havens. The company is 100% owned by a Holdings company, which in turn is owned by EMR Capital Investment Limited (No. 3B PTE Ltd), which is registered in Singapore, with the ultimate parent company being EMR Capital Resources Fund 1, LP, which is registered in the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory and well-known tax haven.

Also read: Shell paid no UK corporation tax in 2019 thanks to rebate

The Tax Justice Network has said that such a structure, whereby the company is run through a series of secretive jurisdictions, creates tax risk for the UK, as well as making it harder to ensure that any liabilities for environmental damage are met.

West Cumbria Mining CEO Mark Kirkbride has said the company will pay all necessary royalties and "there will be no tax avoidance or evasion".

A spokesperson for the company added: "WCM is a UK registered private company. We have a series of shareholders, with a major shareholder being EMR Capital. EMR are a mining focussed private equity fund based in Australia. They have various subsidiary companies – there is no significance whatsoever to our project that there is a Cayman Islands subsidiary."

There is no evidence that the company has broken any regulations

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