West Cumbria Mining is NOT pursuing their planning application for a coal mine at Whitehaven Cumbria. The Government gave them an opportunity to submit more information following the quashing of their previous permission, but their lawyers failed to respond to the February deadline. In response to an extended deadline of 26th March their lawyers (Ward Hadaway) said : “our client is not in a position to proceed with the above application.”
“The government wrote back immediately seeking clarification, to which the mining company’s lawyers said “As explained in our letter to you of 26 March 2025, our client does not currently have the necessary licences from the Coal Authority, which makes any grant of planning permission unimplementable and as a result our client is not able to proceed with the application. In this context, the current planning application can be considered as withdrawn.“
The government wrote back again : “Thank you for your response. We note your comments on the coal licensing regime, a matter which is separate to planning permission. The decision whether or not to pursue the application for planning permission is a matter entirely for your client. You have asked us to treat the application reference 4/17/9007, dated 31 May 2017 as withdrawn. We are therefore taking your letter of 31 March 2025 as confirmation that your client has withdrawn the application. We will write to parties to advise them of this.“
Secretary of State’s FINAL Decision sent as an email 4th April 2025
Please see attached correspondence following the Secretary of State’s letter of 12 March 2025. The Secretary of State notes that West Cumbria Mining Ltd has withdrawn planning application 4/17/9007, dated 31 May 2017. In the light of this information, the redetermination will not proceed and the Secretary of State will have no further role in this application. As the planning application has been withdrawn by the applicant before being decided by the Secretary of State the local planning authority can treat the application as finally disposed of, as set out in Article 40 (13)(d) of The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015. The application can therefore be removed from the planning register.