Decision of Whitehaven coal mine delayed again
The decision was due to be made by mid-August
The decision on whether to approve plans for the controversial coal mine in Whitehaven has been delayed for a second time.
We were due to find out the fate of the mine by the 7th of July, but it was pushed back to mid-August after Michael Gove was sacked as the Levelling up Secretary.
We're now not expected to get a decision from Gove's replacement, Greg Clark, until November the 8th because officials are still considering the matter.
It's said civil servants are still grappling with the "complex" issue.
It means the decision will be taken after a new prime minister has been elected to replace Boris Johnson.
Although backed by several Tory MPs, the mine has drawn condemnation from environmental groups, and was labelled "absolutely indefensible" by Climate Change Committee chairman Lord Deben.
In a letter sent to the project's stakeholders, a Government representative wrote: "This is a complex matter and officials are not yet in a position to complete their considerations prior to providing advice to Ministers.
"In these circumstances, given the imminent decision date, an additional period of time is required.
"Planning Ministers will therefore not be in a position to reach a decision on this application by the previously notified date.
"The Secretary of State hereby gives notice that he has varied the timetable previously set and he will now issue his decision on or before 8 November 2022."
If approved, the coal mine would be the first to open in the UK in 30 years, with the firm behind the project claiming it would create around 500 jobs.
However, Friends of the Earth'sVictoria Marsom argued that Cumbria should create employment in greener industries.
"The case against this coal mine is overwhelming regardless of how many times the decision is delayed," she said.
"The UK and European market for coking coal is set to rapidly diminish as manufacturers switch to greener steel, while coal from this mine won't replace Russian imports.
"This new mine will increase carbon emissions... fossil fuels cause enormous damage to both our environment and economy."