News - West Cumbria mine Archives - Coal Action Network

Take Action – End new English coal

Anthony — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 14:11:21 +0000

The Government is reforming planning policy in England and thanks to thousands of our supporters asking for an end to coal extraction in the last consultation in 2024, they are now recommending that planners "should not identify new sites or extensions to existing sites for peat or coal extraction". The Government is now running a consultation on its latest draft which includes this wording.

So it's time for our supporters to take action again and prove that the Government is well supported to prohibit coal extraction. If we flood the consultation with supportive submissions for this particular policy, we will certainly drown out any pro fossil fuel voices seeking to change the Government's mind.

Please take two minutes of your time to send our template submission by the deadline of 10th March 2026.

The post Take Action – End new English coal appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Another nail in the coffin for West Cumbria Mining Ltd

CAN — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 10:57:52 +0000

The proposed West Cumbria Coal mine lost its planning permission in September 2024. Since then, its application to get a full coal mining license was refused by the Coal Authority, another nail in the coffin of the proposed coking coal mine.

The Coal Authority use a narrow (and outdated) check list to approve full coal mining licenses.

The people responsible have sufficient experience and expertise to do the work appropriately
The extent of subsidence damage and character of affected land is acceptable
The ability of the applicant to finance coal mining operations and the discharge of liabilities arising from the operation.

The Recommendation report from the Coal Authority for this application rejects the application for a full mining license for failing to satisfy both condition 2 and 3, of the above list.

The Coal Authority was unable to verify West Cumbria Mining Ltd's claims of low subsidence risk as West Cumbria Mining Ltd refused to give its modelling parameters to the Coal Authority, citing confidentiality.

Concurrently, the Coal Authority was not satisfied that West Cumbria Mining Ltd is able to finance the project and discharge liabilities especially now that the planning permission has been overturned.

Additionally, the deadline has passed for West Cumbria Mining Ltd to appeal the decision made by the Judge, Mr Justice Holgate, overturning the planning permission granted by the Conservative Government in December 2022. Friends of the Earth’s legal team has had confirmation that no appeal was received before the deadline, meaning an appeal won’t go ahead.

Next steps are still awaited from Angela Raynor, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on how the government will proceed, but the chances of this mine ever happening are increasing very slim.

The post Another nail in the coffin for West Cumbria Mining Ltd appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Victory – West Cumbria Coal Mine Rejected!

CAN — Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:51:11 +0000

Campaigners celebrate as the decision to allow a new coal mine in Cumbria is quashed.

Today, 13th September, South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth won their case, against the Conservative Government's 2022 decision, to allow a new coal mine. Following a hearing in the High Court in July 2024.

Delighted campaigners gathered outside the former County Hall in Kendal and in Whitehaven Market Place to hear the news together this morning.

The Judge, Mr Justice Holgate ruled, "The assumption that the proposed mine would not produce a net increase in GHG emissions, or would be a net zero mine, is legally flawed"

The case was won on 4 out of 5 grounds and the Judge rubbished the mining company's claims the mine would have been net zero.

Maggie Mason, South Lakes Action on Climate Change said, "As ordinary responsible people, we saw this horrendous example of fossil fuel company arrogance, the weakness of our local government, we knew enough science to know the terrible impacts this would have on our beautiful planet and people, the poorest and most vulnerable ﬁrst."

"We could not stand by and do nothing to prevent it. We needed to tell the truth, work hard and pitch in some money to get a legal team that understood the issues."

The following were ruled against the mining company.

Issue (i) – breach of the 2011 Regulations, (ii) – the substitution issue (iii) - Impact of granting planning permission on UK’s leadership role in promoting international action on climate change (iv) Arrangements for offsetting GHG emissions from the operation of the mine

Issue (v) – Unlawful disparity in the treatment of the parties’ cases - was not agreed.

This victory means that 60 million tonnes of coal and associated methane will likely be left underground. West Cumbria Mining Ltd, could appeal the decision. Angela Rayner, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, needs to decide how to proceed now the decision has been returned to the Government.

The post Victory – West Cumbria Coal Mine Rejected! appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Legal challenge against Cumbrian coal mine heard in court

CAN — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:14:14 +0000

From Tuesday 16^th July to lunchtime 18^th July, Lord Holgate heard the case, brought by South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth, against the Government’s 2022 approval of a new underground coal mine at Whitehaven.

In the preceding week the new Government accepted the decision of the former Government was legally flawed, and has conceded the legal challenges to the approval. A Barrister representing the new Secretary of State, Angela Rayner, was present on the request of the Judge, but made no submissions.

Demonstrations in support of the court case were held in Whitehaven on the evening before the case began and on the first day of the hearing. In London, there was a demonstration before the start of the case, outside the High Court and a meeting of Quakers at lunch on the second day.

Estelle Dehon KC of Cornerstone Barristers representing South Lakes Action on Climate Change and Friends of the Earth’s Barristers as to why the mine should not have been granted permission. This was based on the lack of consideration of emissions on use of the coal (the Finch case precident); errors in the Environmental Statement; the false argument that coal mined in the UK, means less mining abroad; failure to comply with the 6^th carbon budget; and inconsistency of treatment of parties in the planning inquiry.

The Judge, Lord Holgate had ruled against Sarah Finch at the High Court, before she won her case in the Supreme Court. The Finch case law was much debated during the hearing looking at the Whitehaven coal mine. It states that emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels should be considered when deciding planning applications for new fossil fuel production.

Barrister James Stratchan KC for West Cumbria Mining Ltd set forth its case that the coal from Cumbria would perfectly substitute for more expensive coal from the USA so overall there is no increase in emissions. This assumes that coal mines with permission to be extracted coal in the USA would chose to leave the coal underground in an equal measure to it is extracted from this site. He tried to argue that as this coal was coking coal normally used in coal power stations, and as such it shouldn't be considered as a fossil fuel and therefore sought to avoid discussing the recent Finch victory.

Lord Holgate engaged in detail with the points put before him, but is not expected to deliver a decision until after some weeks of deliberation. If the case is upheld the decision would then be returned to the Secretary of State for a fresh decision, a process which is also likely to take weeks or months and involve another public inquiry, which may be limited in scope.

We will let you know when we have a decision to report on.

The post Legal challenge against Cumbrian coal mine heard in court appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Email your election candidate

Daniel — Wed, 12 Jun 2024 13:56:35 +0000

The post Email your election candidate appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Hearing date set for proposed West Cumbria Coal mine

CAN — Thu, 09 May 2024 11:28:21 +0000

The legal challenges against the government’s approval of a new coal mine off the coast of Cumbria will be heard in London on the 16^th to 18^th July.

West Cumbria Mining Ltd’s application to extract 2.78 million tonnes of coking coal a year, right up to until 2049, was approved by the Conservative Government in December 2022. Two legal challenges to this decision have been awaiting a High Court hearing following the decision.

Help stop the coal mine by sharing or donating to SLACC's crowdfunder for their legal costs. Everything helps.

One of the 5 grounds against the approval of the mine relies on the outcome of case relating to the downstream emissions from a proposed oil well at Horse Hill Surrey. West Cumbria Mining Ltd intervened in the Horse Hill case, hoping for a ruling that would set a precedent that allows the coal mine to go ahead. The Supreme Court Hearing for the Horse Hill case took place in June 2023, but the decision has yet to be announced.

The courts had said that the legal challenges to the proposed coal mine needed to be heard after the Horse Hill decision was given. This condition has now been lifted and the hearing will take place in July, irrelevant of when the Horse Hill decision is made.

Following the July hearing, the High Court judges will decide whether the government’s approval of the proposed coal mine is lawful. If it decides the decision wasn’t lawful a new decision will be required from the government which could be the end of this disastrous project.

Demonstrations are being planned in support of the legal challenges on the first day of the hearing in outside the court in London and in Whitehaven, Cumbria during the hearing. Keep an eye out on our upcoming events page for details when available.

The post Hearing date set for proposed West Cumbria Coal mine appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Success: Yet another major insurer rules out coal and oil projects

Blyth — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:28:46 +0000

After a week of peaceful protest around the world, alongside hundreds of groups, our efforts have paid off. Yet another leading insurance company, Probitas, has ruled out insuring the proposed West Cumbria coal mine and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

Probitas is the 29th insurance company to rule out EACOP and the sixth to rule out West Cumbria coal mine.

Insurance is the polluters’ Achilles Heel - without it, polluters cannot operate coal, oil or gas projects. So if the insurance industry refuses contracts with new and expanding projects, that ends fossil fuel expansion for good.

The decision by Probitas is a strong sign that the insurance industry is starting to recognise the severe risks of dirty fuel projects - to their reputations, their bottom lines and to ordinary communities who want a safe, healthy word.

The more insurance companies pull away from these controversial projects, the harder it will be for them to raise the money they need to go forwards.

Another breakthrough came earlier in the week of action, when Zurich agreed to enter talks with campaign groups, including Extinction Rebellion, about Insure Our Future’s demands - including an end to insuring new fossil fuel expansion.

Take action on insurance for a safer future

These victories can be attributed to the great diversity of approaches used throughout Insure Our Future’s Global Week of Action. Through many forms of non-violent protest and campaigning, groups encouraged insurance workers to reflect on how the industry’s support for new fossil fuels is making the world more chaotic, and the unique power of insurers to instead bring more safety and fairness to communities facing extreme weather and a lack of clean energy.

From protest marches to direct action, from petitions to mass phone calls and emails from volunteers, Coal Action Network and our many partner groups used all the tactics in the protest toolkit to urge insurance companies to step up.

In London, the week kicked off with a spectacular dance performance by Mothers Rise Up, directed by one of the world’s leading opera choreographers Denni Sayers, set against classical music and conveying an important message for insurers to protect children and future generations.

This was followed by office occupations and a peaceful protest that encircled the headquarters of insurance marketplace, Lloyd’s of London’s. Later, groups took similar action against insurers up and down the country in major cities, while many thousands took part in online mass emails, phoning and commenting on crucial platforms like LinkedIn.

The ongoing Insure Our Future campaign has the potential to prevent new coal, oil and gas projects from ever destroying our climate, communities and nature.

By working together, we can urge insurers to play their part in creating a safer, more secure world for future generations and countries on the frontline of the climate emergency.

We can achieve this if we convince enough insurance companies to reject contracts with the companies behind these two key ‘carbon bombs’ - the toxic French energy giant Total and West Cumbria Mining Limited.

The Global Week of Action is not over yet. Coal Action Network is keeping up the momentum by running another round of mass emails this week. To get involved, keep an eye on Coal Action Network’s social media pages.

The post Success: Yet another major insurer rules out coal and oil projects appeared first on Coal Action Network.

EMR Capital’s other coking coal mine – Kestrel, Queensland

CAN — Fri, 19 Jan 2024 16:00:29 +0000

EMR Capital, the company that owns 81% of the proposed West Cumbria Coal mine, is currently operating another coking coal mine – Kestrel.

The Kestrel mine is an underground mine located in the Bowen Basin in central Queensland. The Bowen Basin contains the largest coal reserves in Australia.

The mine produces twice the annual output proposed for West Cumbria, at 5.56 million tonnes a year. The Kestrel coal mine is not without controversy, which could occur in West Cumbria if the mines started. See below for recent issues for workers, subsidence and with polluted water discharge which at Kestrel could affect the Great Barrier Reef or the coast at Cumbria.

There is not a strong campaign focus against Kestrel coal mine specifically, as in 2021, Australia had 94 operational coal mines, coal and a much lower population density than in the UK. The mine has operated since 1992.

Like the proposed West Cumbria Coal mine, Kestrel is not owned and operated by just one company.

“Both EMR and Adaro are keen investors in Metallurgical Coal.”[1]

Kestrel mine is owned by Kestrel Coal Resources (80%) and Mitsui Investments (20%). Kestrel Coal Resources is made up of 52% EMR Capital, with Adaro Capital Ltd owning the other 48%.

Location of Kestrel coal mine

Key facts

Coal type: coking coal
Location: central Queensland
Traditional owners of the land: Western Kangoulu [2]
Area: 17,000 hectares
Depth: 350m to 400m [3]
Seem depth: 3m [3]
Annual coal sales: 5.56 Mt (2021) [4]
Main markets: India, South Korea, and Japan [4]
Mining started: 1992 [5]
Expected closure: 2032 [5]
Reserves available until: 2046 [6]
Further expansion?: Likely [7]
Employees: approximately 660 [2]
Mine’s direct annual emission position in Australia (2019-2020) 9^th [9] out of approx 94 mines [8]
Previous owner: Mitsui Investments (20%) and Rio Tinto (80%) share sold to EMR Capital and Adaro Energy in 2018.

Protests and disputes

There were workers disputes at the mine in 2022 over job contracts, including redundancy policies, health insurance policies and our incentive bonus policy. The Mining and Energy Union vice president criticized Kestrel over the ongoing saga. [10]

The mine was for sale in 2022. It does not seem to have found a buyer.

Threat at a local level

The traditional owners of the land are the Western Kangoulu people who co-operate to some extent with the miners, but say “the sectors activities also present a large threat to the protection of cultural heritage and values with extensive and irreparable damage being done to the land resources of the Western Kangoulu area.” [11]

Environmental issues

Lock the Gate has highlighted that “Central Queensland coal mines are releasing billions of litres of polluted water many times saltier than the receiving rivers in the catchment of the Great Barrier Reef, prompting concerns about the ecological health of impacted waterways.”

According to the Environment Department’s figures, Kestrel, in Jan 2023 was releasing the equivalent of an Olympic-sized swimming pool of water every eight seconds into Crinum Creek.

The Environmental Advocacy in Central Queensland director said, “It’s particularly galling that even coal mines that publicly claim to be ‘zero-discharge’, such as Kestrel, are releasing thousands of litres into Central [Queensland] creeks every second which will be carrying sediment to the Reef.” [12]

Subsidence

There has been subsidence at the Kestrel mine, this was likely planned. The area over the mines is mainly agricultural. Subsidence is where the ground sinks after coal mining has cleared an underground void and the rock roof is allowed to fall in, causing disruption at ground level.

At the Kestrel mine there is recorded subsidence of 1.6m to 2 m down the centre of the 250 m wide panels. These panels are approximately 4km long.” At the Kestrel site this affects the hydrology of the area. Similar subsidence, were it to take place, at the currently proposed West Cumbria coal mine, would cause disruption on the sea bed. If this is expected a license for the mine is required from the Marine Management Organisation. As “subsidence increase[s] permeability and porosity”. [13]

The post EMR Capital’s other coking coal mine – Kestrel, Queensland appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Proposed Whitehaven coal mine campaign timeline

Daniel — Thu, 28 Dec 2023 18:11:24 +0000

2014 Company directors buy Riverside Energy and change the name to West Cumbria Mining Ltd ( West Cumbria Mining Ltd).

2015 Cumbria County Council and West Cumbria Mining Ltd hold internal discussions.

2016 Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report is finalised.

2017 Initial planning application is submitted.

2017 September. First demonstration against the coal mine - organised by Radiation Free Lakeland

2018 Major changes to the application are made and a new Environmental Statement submitted.

2019 March. Cumbria County Council planning committee holds hearing for the Whitehaven coal mine application, and approves it “subject to S106 legal agreement".

2019 April. Call in Request to Rt Hon James Brokenshire Secretary of State from Keep Cumbrian Coal in the Hole (a Radiation Free Lakeland campaign) around potential nuclear impacts of the proposal.

2019 June. A call-in request by SLACC is refused by Secretary of State (Secretary of State).

2019 October. Cumbria County Council planning committee holds second hearing and again approves the Whitehaven coal mine application “subject to S106 legal agreement".

2019 Judicial review launched by Leigh Day solicitors on behalf of Radiation Free Lakeland.

2020 May. Cumbria County Council planning committee sets aside (withdraws) previous “consent subject to S106”.

2020 June. West Cumbria Mining Ltd submits revised application (claiming to no longer mine and sell the high sulphur “middlings” coal in the area).

2020 October. Cumbria County Council planning committee holds third hearing for the Whitehaven coal mine application, and again approves it “approval subject to S106 legal agreement".

2021 January. SLACC issue second request for the Secretary of State to call-in West Cumbria Mining Ltd’s application.

2021 February. Cumbria County Council suspended approval decision because Climate Change Committee recommended the end of coking coal use by 2035.

2021 February. CAN petition with 110,000+ signatures is submitted to the UK Government for the Secretary of State to call in the mining application.

2021 March. SLACC launches judicial review against the Secretary of State’s failure to call in West Cumbria Mining Ltd’s application.

2021 March. West Cumbria Mining Ltd launches judicial review against Cumbria County Council and in opposition to SLACC’s judicial review of the Secretary of State.

2021 Secretary of State finally agrees to call in West Cumbria Mining Ltd’s application and to hold a Public Inquiry into it.

2021 September. 11 groups commit to taking direct action to stop the West Cumbria coal mine if government approves it.

2021 September. West Cumbria Mining Ltd make major change just ahead of Public Inquiry - tunnelling under the ancient woodlands.

2021 September. Public Inquiry is held.

2021 September. On the first day of the Public Inquiry, around 70 people gather outside the site of the prospective Whitehaven coal mine, and outside the Secretary of State’s office, Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government.

2022 December. Michael Gove publishes decision to grant planning permission to the Whitehaven coal mine.

2022 December. Twitter storm erupts with the message “We reject the Whitehaven coal mine, #StopCoal @luhc @CoalActionUK”.

2022 December. Protests at the site and in other parts of Cumbria against the approval. At the site they continue monthly throughout 2023.

2022 December. 5 Santas deliver sacks of dirty ‘coal’ to the Secretary of State at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities as he is on the (very) naughty list for approving the Whitehaven coal mine.

2023 Jan. SLACC and FOE request permission to legally challenge the Secretary of State’s decision in a Statutory Review.

2023 April. High Court refuse permission to appeal.

2023 April. FOE and SLACC apply for ‘Renewal’—similar to an appeal, which is granted.

2023 May. Legal challenges against the governmental decision are approved for SLACC and Friends of the Earth for a combined hearing. Originally due to be heard in October 2023, but delayed to await the outcome of a linked case, relating to oil extraction in Surrey.

2023 August. 25 large banners opposing the proposed new coal mine near Whitehaven with the words ‘NO TIME for a COAL MINE’ were unveiled along all the roads entering Cumbria on the same day.

2023 August. Earth First! Gathering occupied the site of the proposed Whitehaven coal mine for 5 days, with around 150 attendees, ran workshops on all things environmental and engaged with many local residents over the days.

2023 September. Global Day of Action against Fossil Fuels includes demonstrations against Lloyds of London Insurance companies which fail to rule out insuring the project.

2023 November. Protests at Mines and Money Conference in London over 2 days. We demanded that investors stop pouring cash into the mining sector, and instead invest in our collective future.

2024 July. The Government has accepted that there was an error of law in the decision to grant planning permission for a new coal mine in Cumbria - and will no longer be defending the claims.

2024 September. The Judge over turned the previous Government's decision to allow the mine. There is no planning permission valid for this application.

2024 July. High Court heard 5 reasons why the Conservative Government's December 2022 approval of the proposed mine was flawed, and the court was asked to make the government re-decide. Protests were held in Whitehaven and London supporting the court case.

The post Proposed Whitehaven coal mine campaign timeline appeared first on Coal Action Network.

Ditch the dirty dollars – invest in our future!

Daniel — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 20:32:02 +0000

People hailing from Cumbria to London, and everywhere in between, descended on the Mines and Money Conference in London across two days (28^th-29^th Nov 2023). We demanded that investors stop pouring cash into the mining sector, and instead invest in our collective future. Together with Fossil Free London and other groups, we greeted investors with flyers highlighting risks to investments in mining that mining companies want to hide—such as successful grassroots resistance to mining projects around the world.

We also heard on the grapevine that EMR Capital PTY, the ultimate owner of the proposed West Cumbria coal mine (WCM), was attending in the desperate hope of raising the £230 million still needed to start the WCM. So local campaigners from Cumbria came all the way to London to deliver a message to potential investors in WCM—steer clear! To further ruin EMR Capital PTY’s plans, they also handed investors a risk assessment, provided by BankTrack, outlining risks specific to the proposed WCM proposal. Two other coal mining companies were present at the conference too.

There’s many alternatives we must take instead of clawing the ground up to reach the minerals beneath, and that is where investment is needed. For example, we need:

better closed-loop recycling and reuse
new technologies and the efficiencies they can bring
the eradication of planned obsolescence
a reduction and prioritisation in what we consume

This would truly be ‘resourcing tomorrow’—the strapline for this year’s Money & Mining conference. Instead, the conference encourages investment in the rush for remaining minerals, fuelling human rights abuses, land grabs, destruction of local eco-systems, and climate change.

The post Ditch the dirty dollars – invest in our future! appeared first on Coal Action Network.

News - West Cumbria mine Archives - Coal Action Network

Take Action – End new English coal

Take action - End new English coal

Published on 27. 01. 2026

Another nail in the coffin for West Cumbria Mining Ltd

Another nail in the coffin for West Cumbria Mining Ltd

Victory – West Cumbria Coal Mine Rejected!

Victory - West Cumbria Coal Mine Rejected!

Legal challenge against Cumbrian coal mine heard in court

Case against proposed mine in Cumbria heard in court

Email your election candidate

Email your election candidates about the West Cumbria coal mine

It's not just about one coal mine...

Check out our action!

Published: 12. 06. 2024

Hearing date set for proposed West Cumbria Coal mine

Hearing date set for proposed West Cumbria Coal mine

Success: Yet another major insurer rules out coal and oil projects

Success: Yet another major insurer rules out the proposed West Cumbria coal mine and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline

A massive win from the Global Week of Action, 26th February - 3rd March 2024.

Take action on insurance for a safer future

EMR Capital’s other coking coal mine – Kestrel, Queensland

EMR Capital’s other coking coal mine – Kestrel, Queensland

“Both EMR and Adaro are keen investors in Metallurgical Coal.”[1]

Kestrel coal mine from https://www.mining-outlook.com/commodities/coal-mining-sector/kestrel-coal-resources-mining-for-a-legacy-worth-leaving/4

Controversy

References

Proposed Whitehaven coal mine campaign timeline

Proposed Whitehaven coal mine campaign timeline

Main events

Published: 28. 12. 2023

Ditch the dirty dollars – invest in our future!

Mines and Money Conference - ditch the dirty dollars, invest in our future!

We assume our invite got lost in the post...

Published: 29/11/2023