The £165m project would see coking coal being extracted from the mine in order to be used in the production of steel, rather than electricity generation.
First proposed in January 2021, the government initially decided not to intervene in local planning decisions despite the fact that the mine’s approval would be antithetical to the UK’s climate change targets.
This controversial decision led to a strong backlash from environmental campaigners leading the government to put the project on pause while it reconsidered whether it would be allowed to go ahead or not.
But the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) has now confirmed that the project can continue, saying it was “satisfied that there is currently a UK and European market for the coal”.
“The Secretary of State notes that many of those in opposition to the development expressed a view that there is no need for a new coal mine as existing global reserves can satisfy the demand...