Woodhouse colliery

Secretary of State Robert Jenrick who refused South Lakeland MP Tim Farron's request to call in the plans for review.

In exercise of his powers under Article 31 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015, the Secretary of State directed the Council, in a letter dated 28 September, not to grant permission to the West Cumbria Mining (WCM) application without specific authorisation.[8] The Cumbria County Council Development Control and Regulation Committee were nevertheless reported to have approved West Cumbria Mining plans for the mine in October 2020 for a third time.[9]

In January 2021 Secretary of State Robert Jenrick refused South Lakeland MP Tim Farron's request to call in the plans for review,[10][10] by issuing a letter dated 6 January 2021 withdrawing the Article 31 Direction issued pursuant to the Secretary of State's letter of 28 September 2020.[11] In January 2021 the chair of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), Lord Deben, sent a letter to Jenrick 'rapping' him for allowing the planning permission to stand.[12] The government responded that the decision not to call in the coal mine would not be reversed.[12]

On 28 January 2021 the Coal Authority announced that on 18 January 2020 WCM had applied for, and been granted, an undefined extension to the duration of two of their three Coal Authority licences, as both licences were due to run out on 24 January 2021.[13][14]

It is estimated that the coal extracted from the mine would emit 8.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, in 2019 the UK's total carbon emissions were 354 million tonnes. The UK Climate Change Committee chair Lord Deben has stated that "this is greater than the level of annual emissions we have projected from all open UK coalmines to 2050."[15][16]

Some MPs, developing country experts, scientists, green campaigners and government advisers have criticised the mine.

Climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg criticised the approval of the mine stating: 'The UK government has decided not to intervene with the plans of opening a brand new English coal mine. This really shows the true meaning of so called "net zero 2050". These vague, insufficient targets long into the future basically mean nothing today.'[17]

James Hansen, adjunct professor directing the Program on Climate Science, Awareness and Solutions of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and former director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies stated approving the mine showed a "contemptuous disregard for the future of young people" and that "It shows they (the government) are really not serious," about climate change.[18]

MP Tim Farron described the coal mine as a "complete disaster for our children's future".[10] Greenpeace UK stated "claims that it will be carbon neutral are like claiming an oil rig is a wind turbine."[1]

Mohamed Adow, winner of the Climate Breakthrough Award and director of the Power Shift Africa thinktank stated: "It's a bizarre and shocking decision. People in the developing world who are suffering from the effects of the climate crisis will be horrified. They are relying on the UK to be their champion on climate change and be an example, not returning to the dirty days of coal."[19]