First New UK Coal Mine in 30 Years Approved to Ire of Environmentalists

A general view of the former Woodhouse Colliery site where West Cumbria Mining (WCM) is planning to once again extract coal, in Whitehaven, England, on March 16, 2021. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

The UK government has granted planning permission for the country’s first new coal mine in 30 years, provoking anger from environmental campaigners.

The coking coal mine on the edge of Whitehaven in Cumbria, which is expected to extract nearly 2.8 million tonnes per year, is expected to create more than 500 jobs.