A DECISION on whether or not to grant planning permission for a controversial new coal mine in Cumbria is due within the next two weeks.

The government has said that Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities will decide on or before July 7.

During this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnson appeared to hint that the mine may be approved.

A planning inquiry into the coal mine which took place last September, where Friends of the Earth was one of the two main parties opposing the application for planning permission, along with local campaign group SLACC (South Lakes Against Climate Change). 

READ MORE: Deadline for decision on Whitehaven coal mine set by Planning Inspectorate

Friends of the Earth energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, said: "The evidence against this mine is overwhelming.

"It would increase carbon emissions, its market is already starting to decline, and it won’t replace Russian coal imports.

"We need a green economy and the new jobs this brings, and areas like West Cumbria must be at the heart of this."

Friends of the Earth have said that only a maximum of 13 per cent of the coal will be used by the UK steel industry. Cumbria CC reported that one of the two main customers has expressed doubts about whether it can use Cumbrian coal because of its sulphur content, and British Steel has said that it is not lobbying for the mine.

Chris McDonald, CEO of the Materials Processing Institute has said that no-one in the steel industry is calling for the mine to be built.

The group have also said that the claims that the mine will replace need for Russian coking coal are 'misleading.' 

READ MORE: Prime Minister's comments are 'clearest indicator yet' of West Cumbria coal mine plans being approved

A spokesperson said: "In their evidence to the planning inquiry, West Cumbria Mining was clear that their target is replacing coal with similar characteristics from the US east coast, even since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, West Cumbria Mining has not claimed that its coal would replace Russian coal, which has different characteristics."

The chair of the Climate Change Committee has also written that opening the Cumbrian mine would increase global carbon emissions and have an appreciable impact on the UK’s legally-binding carbon budgets.

The spokesperson added: "New fossil fuel extraction is not the right way to create jobs, and the declining demand for coking coal casts doubts over the mine’s medium and long-term prospects and the promised 500 jobs."

'The mine will alleviate pressure'

The mine has support locally, including from politicians such as mayor of Copeland Mike Starkie, who said recently in a letter to the Government: “In 2020 we imported 1.6 metric tonnes of coal from Russia. Turkey, Germany, the Netherlands, all import coal from Russia. It’s going to get caught up in the sanctions.

“The war in the Ukraine will increase the financial burden on U.K. families and the already emerging cost of living crisis.

"Opening the mine will, in West Cumbria, alleviate some of that pressure through the creation of new well-paid jobs that will, in the long term, support the governments much vaunted levelling-up agenda.”