Dear constituent,
Thank you for contacting me about the Whitehaven coal mine.
While the Government places a strong emphasis on localism and decentralisation when it comes to planning applications, I am aware that the Communities Secretary has made the decision to ‘call-in’ the planning application for the Whitehaven Coal Mine.
The Secretary of State decided to call this application in because of the further developments since his original decision. The Climate Change Committee’s recommendations for the Sixth Carbon Budget have been published since he was previously advised on this matter.
It is also the case that local authorities are expected to make planning decisions promptly and the planning application for this development was first submitted to Cumbria County Council in May 2017 and has been considered by their planning committee on three occasions, without a final outcome being reached.
I agree with the Secretary of State that this application raises planning issues of more than just local importance and welcome the fact that there will be a public inquiry before any decision is made. This inquiry is now in progress and I will continue to follow any developments closely.
It is worth mentioning that the extracted coal would be used exclusively for steel production rather than energy production. The Government has confirmed its commitment to end unabated coal-power generation from October 2024, having brought this deadline forward from 2025. I hope that coal-generated energy will soon be a distant memory as the UK builds a greener and more resilient future in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Richard Fuller MP