The UK’s first new coal mine application in 30 years – which was granted permission by the previous government in 2022 – will not be allowed to go ahead.
South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth had taken the government to court over the decision, arguing among other things that it had failed to take into account the full climate impact of the mine. Today, the High Court judge Justice Holgate allowed their challenges and quashed the planning permission.
The ruling follows the landmark judgment in the case Sarah Finch (on behalf of Weald Action Group) vs. Surrey County Council over the planning permission for onshore oil production at Horse Hill in Surrey. In June 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that the Horse Hill permission was illegal as the Council had failed to assess the greenhouse gas emissions from eventual use of the oil to be produced at Horse Hill. That has set a precedent for successful legal challenges against all new fossil fuel extraction projects.
The Weald Action Group is overjoyed that Justice Holgate recognised that approving this mine without considering its full climate impact was unlawful.
We are delighted that our successful campaign on Horse Hill helped to secure this victory for climate and for communities.
We hope this decision means that the days of approving fossil fuel development without accounting for its emissions are behind us. The government must now prioritise public investment to support a fair transition and green jobs in West Cumbria.
All eyes are now on the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields. They are also subject to legal challenges, from Uplift and Greenpeace, which are currently with the Scottish court. If Horse Hill and the Whitehaven mine are unlawful, they must be as well.