Coal Action Network is one of several organisations that campaigned for years to stop the coking coal mine proposed by West Cumbria Mining Ltd from ever starting. This new coal mine would have jeopardised the UK's climate commitments. In April 2025, following a successful legal challenge and subsequent rejection of its coal licence, West Cumbria Mining Ltd finally withdrew its planning application, admitting defeat. First and foremost, this is a win for the local community opposing the mine over many years.
The UK Government has produced a 15 page letter plus appendices which outlines the reasons for granting permission to the Whitehaven coal mine application (Ref: 4/17/9007). This is mostly in the form of highlighting points on which Michael Gove agrees with…
Following the shocking decision that the UK government are allowing a new underground coking coal mine under the sea by Whitehaven Cumbria, we invite you to show your disdain and join our protest. The action is a twitter ‘storm’ now that a decision has been made.
At the end of 2021, Boris Johnson said, “I’m not in favour of more coal” in response to questions about the proposed Whitehaven coking coal mine during the Glasgow COP26 climate summit. Yet today a massive new underground coking coal mine…
Coal to be excavated: 61.4 million tonnes of coal in total and 2.93 million tonnes of coal per annum (at full capacity)
Coal to be sold: 55.6 million tonnes of coal in total and 2.78 million tonnes of coal per annum (at full capacity)…
There are a range of organisations fighting against this disastrous proposal, each with different tactics and strategy, but working together to stop the mine.
On the first day of the Conference of Parties Climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow Boris Johnson for the first time has said that he is not in favour of a new coal mine in the UK. Tommy Greene explains what happened in an article on Left Foot Forward.
Today (1st October) is the last day of the public inquiry into the proposed West Cumbria coal mine. The inspector will privately deliberate the evidence presented, write up a report and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State, who is now Michael Gove.
New report from Coal Action Network. Coal in Steel provides background information to campaigns against proposed new coking coal mines and considering how coal needs to be phased out of steel production.
From West Cumbria to London, opposition to the controversial proposal for an underground coking
coal mine, sited near Whitehaven, is widespread and growing. On 7th September, the day the
public inquiry investigating the proposal by West Cumbria Mining Ltd started, members of the public gather in two locations to demand a greener future, in which a new coal mine has no place.
Coal Action Network has commissioned research revealing massive debts of over £29million, Cayman Islands tax havens, corporate structures that undermine responsibility, and taxes that may not get paid.
Coal Action Network has joined eight other action groups in pledging to take direct action against the proposed Cumbrian coking coal mine, should the government reject all of the evidence at the public inquiry and approve the mine.