Despite Michael Gove’s approval of the new Cumbrian coal mine in December 2022, there has been no start on the Whitehaven site, and no Court Hearing of our legal challenge against Gove’s decision. This timeline produced by Coal Action Network starts from 2014 and includes the main action in 2023. We now expect a High Court Hearing in Mid – Late March 2024.
The key reason for the delay is that West Cumbria Mining “intervened” in a Supreme Court challenge about an oil well in Surrey, and our Cumbria High Court Hearing has been delayed until the Supreme Court issues it’s decision. Our Hearing will now take 3 days, instead of just one, and together with a lot of legal struggles during 2023, has significantly increased SLACC’s predicted costs. Our CrowdJustice Appeal targets are being reviewed and it will be “re-launched” soon.
The climate and ecological crisis becomes clearer and more urgent every month, and COP 28 has disappointed many scientists and vulnerable nations. SLACC took a stand against this new coal mine in 2019 and our belief that it should not be allowed to commence is stronger than ever. It is now even clearer that the coal is almost all for export, NOT for the UK steel industry. Together with new oil and gas licences, the coal mine consent has seriously damaged the UK’s climate leadership and international efforts to combat climate change at COP 28 . Please help us to fight on into 2024.