Michael Gove is on the cusp of approving Britain’s first coal mine in decades as the Cabinet rallies behind a proposal to wean the country off Russian imports.
The Housing Secretary is understood to be supportive of plans to open a Cumbrian colliery which will provide vital supplies for steel plants, senior Conservative party sources believe. Mr Gove’s decision will now hinge on recommendations that have been handed to him by the Planning Inspectorate.
A source said: “I don’t know for certain, but I get the impression he [Mr Gove] is going to approve it.”
Woodhouse Colliery, the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years, was given the go-ahead by local councillors in October 2020, but ministers launched an inquiry six months later after opposition from activists ahead of the Cop26 climate change conference.
Boris Johnson said in November at the summit in Glasgow that he was “not in favour of more coal” but stopped short of outright opposition. Downing Street sources insist that the decision is for planning ministers alone.
Nevertheless, Whitehall sources said that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has unified the Cabinet in favour of the plans.
The mine will produce coking coal, an essential ingredient in steelmaking that will not be burned at power plants. Britain imported 40pc of its coking coal from Russia before the invasion of Ukraine.
