{"id":274257,"date":"2025-04-04T18:04:57","date_gmt":"2025-04-04T18:04:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/04\/whitehaven-deep-coal-mine-plans-officially-dropped\/"},"modified":"2025-04-04T18:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T18:04:57","slug":"whitehaven-deep-coal-mine-plans-officially-dropped","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/04\/whitehaven-deep-coal-mine-plans-officially-dropped\/","title":{"rendered":"Whitehaven deep coal mine plans officially dropped"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align:center\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png?ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Whitehaven deep coal mine plans officially dropped\" title=\"Whitehaven deep coal mine plans officially dropped\" \/><\/div><p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<div data-component=\"byline-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-0 haItSe\">\n<div data-testid=\"byline-new-contributors\" class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-12 fcCDwR\">\n<div class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-5 evAEAB\">\n<div><span class=\"sc-b42e7a8f-7 kItaYD\">Jason Arunn Murugesu<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>BBC News, North East and Cumbria<!-- --><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 ejjhCR\">\n<div data-testid=\"hero-image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/6630\/live\/f71b60a0-0022-11f0-a8b1-950887ddc6e5.jpg.webp\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"BBC Four campaigners celebrating outside the High Court in London after the decision to quash the proposed coal mine in Whitehaven and holding banners reading Whitehaven Deserves Better.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><span class=\"sc-a34861b-2 hesJxn\">BBC<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 iUqqeb\">Friends of the Earth environmental group said it was &#8220;delighted&#8221; by the news<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Plans for the UK&#8217;s first deep coal mine in more than 30 years have officially been abandoned. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Planning permission for the mine at Whitehaven, Cumbria, was overturned by the High Court last year following a campaign by environmental groups.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Developer West Cumbria Mining (WCM) was then given a deadline by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to decide whether it wanted to continue its planning permission application.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">WCM has now dropped these plans, MHCLG said. The developer has been approached for comment.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The mine was initially approved by the then-government in 2022, but Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change argued the environmental impact of burning extracted coal had not been taken into account.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">At the High Court last September, Mr Justice Holgate described the government&#8217;s assumption that the mine would not produce a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions, or would be a net zero mine, as <!-- --><a target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cdrlrkz5k2ro\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 beIoQm\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;legally flawed&#8221;<!-- --><\/a>.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">WCM said at the time it would &#8220;consider the implications&#8221; of the judgement before commenting further.<!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><h2 class=\"sc-518485e5-0 DkKTF\">&#8216;Failed to respond initially&#8217;<!-- --><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Campaigners had been <!-- --><a target=\"_self\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cqj0wyp52d9o\" class=\"sc-c9299ecf-0 beIoQm\" rel=\"noopener\">calling for the firm to &#8220;break its silence&#8221;<!-- --><\/a>.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">As it is legally obliged to do, the government began the process for reassessing the application earlier this year and wrote to all interested parties asking for their views.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Friends of the Earth said it met a 27 February deadline to submit its reply but that WCM had &#8220;failed to respond&#8221;.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The mining firm was then given a new deadline of 26 March to respond. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<figure>\n<div data-component=\"image-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 jFCfG\">\n<div data-testid=\"image\" class=\"sc-a34861b-1 jxzoZC\"><img decoding=\"async\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/240\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 240w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/320\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 320w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 480w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/640\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 640w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/800\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 800w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1024\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 1024w,https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/1536\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp 1536w\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/9d93\/live\/bcb12000-0025-11f0-8c3d-b7dcc7510cb1.jpg.webp\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Maggie Mason, who has short, white hair and glasses, stands in front of campaigners who are holding signs and banners protesting against the Whitehaven coal mine proposal.\" class=\"sc-a34861b-0 efFcac\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"sc-8353772e-0 iUqqeb\">Campaigners in Cumbria believe the proposed mine&#8217;s environmental impact would be damaging<!-- --><\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<div data-component=\"text-block\" class=\"sc-18fde0d6-0 dlWCEZ\">\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">MHCLG has now confirmed that the mining company withdrew its planning application for the site on 31 March. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">Friends of the Earth activist Tony Bosworth said the group was &#8220;delighted&#8221; by the news.<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">&#8220;Congratulations to all the brilliant local campaigners who fought so powerfully to stop this mine,&#8221; he said. <!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">&#8220;The focus must now switch to ensuring local people get the green jobs they so urgently need &#8211; areas like West Cumbria have been left behind for far too long.&#8221;<!-- --><\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-eb7bd5f6-0 fezwLZ\">The MHCLG declined to comment. <!-- --><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cy0ynqqzezvo\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jason Arunn Murugesu BBC News, North East and Cumbria BBC Friends of the Earth environmental group said it was &#8220;delighted&#8221; by the news Plans for the UK&#8217;s first deep coal mine in more than 30 years have officially been abandoned. Planning permission for the mine at Whitehaven, Cumbria, was overturned by the High Court last [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":274258,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/bbcx\/grey-placeholder.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[603],"tags":[6573,2481,10818,6211,1925,97772],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274257"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=274257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":274259,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/274257\/revisions\/274259"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/274258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=274257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=274257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.talkwithrattan.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=274257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}