Copeland Mayor says legal challenge to stop coal mine is 'futile'

Friends of the Earth have announced they will pursue a legal challenge later this month.

Another pressure group, South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC), are currently fundraising whilst they consider whether or not to go forward with a statutory review after the Woodhouse Colliery was given the green light by Levelling-Up Secretary Michael Gove on December 8.

Mayor Mike Starkie said: "It's futile, this has gone through one of the most rigorous processes in decades - through a team of professional planning officers presented with all the evidence recommending approval on three separate occasions, taking into account all sides of the argument each time.

"It's a £160m private investment and that's a point people keep missing. Groups talk about the potential thousands of green jobs, but they haven't once said what they are and where the funding is coming from. They are probably expecting it to come from the government, but this is private investment what we're talking about.

"These are real jobs, not mythical green jobs. It'll create 500 direct jobs to the mine and 1500 in the supply chain which will have a huge impact in a post-covid environment in West Cumbria and Copeland's economy. For every job that mine creates, it'll create three others in the supply chain," he said.

So far the SLACC has raised £27,800 of the £50,000 target, which will be used to help cover legal fees.

A fundraiser that the mayor believes is a fruitless endeavor. 

"What SLACC and Friends of the Earth are doing hurting their own credibility on issues that they could have a positive influence on. In my opinion, I think they are getting people to raise money on false pretences to fight a case they must know they have no chance in winning," he said.

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In response, Maggie Mason from SLACC, said: “This latest decision by Michael Gove is shot through with errors in law, and the two charities are perfectly within their rights to point that out. Comments from donors to SLACC's CrowdJustice page make it very clear that they are shocked by the decision, especially the way it ignores the carbon emissions from using the coal. This is a precedent which could have global effects and our donors totally support us in our challenge whether we win or lose.

“Sadly the UK Government has failed to develop a realistic Industrial Strategy, or home refurbishment strategy, both of which would enable UK businesses large and small to invest in green jobs, including in west Cumbria. A request from Tata Steel at Port Talbot to support them in replacing their Blast Furnaces with Electric Arc Furnaces is still pending at the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy, while British Steel at Scunthorpe is also looking for help to decarbonise.  Meanwhile the government seems to be hoping private investors will back carbon capture and storage, which even WCM's experts said was unsuitable for old style steel production.

“West Cumbria Mining now has two Australian directors, alongside Mark Kirkbride, and previously said they wanted to invest in the UK where wages and royalties were low. Do British young people really want to work in a deep coal mine, or will this simply attract miners from overseas who send most of their wages home?” she said.

Friends of the Earth energy campaigner, Tony Bosworth, also said:
“The Copeland Mayor has a responsibility to incentivise and encourage investment in green jobs, just as the government does.

“West Cumbria is long-overdue investment and people deserve lasting jobs. But with the market for the mine’s coal declining as the steel industry inevitably moves towards green production methods, the long-term viability of the mine and the jobs used to justify it are far from secure.

“A local programme to ensure that every home in the area is properly insulated would offer just as many, if not more, jobs for local people. This would bring a myriad of other benefits the mine simply can’t offer, such as lower energy bills, warmer homes and fewer carbon emissions released into our atmosphere.

“How soon these jobs are created is down to the government and when it makes the investment that is so clearly needed.”

Labour have also said it would stop the new coalmine in Cumbria from going ahead if elected.

"I think the Labour government are trying to jump on the argument, I've invited Ed Milliband (shadow climate change secretary) up here to debate this, but he wouldn't get much support even from Labour supporters, most Labour supporters in Copeland signed their support to get the mine over the line in the first place," the Mayor of Copeland added.

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