Quote of the day 13th March 2021, from Dr. Stephen Haraldsen's Newsnight interview on the mine

"There's a very positive case to be made environmentally, socially and economically and I look forward to those of us in Cumbria making that case in the planning inquiry process."

(Councillor Dr. Stephen Haraldsen, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group on Cumbria County Council, speaking on Newsnight in support of the West Cumbria Mining proposal.

You can view his interview here.)


Comments

Gary Bullivant said…
Quote of the Day for 17 Mar 21? "I think there are very compelling reasons to do what the CCC suggested and not open the mine.” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng

https://www.miningweekly.com/article/minister-sees-compelling-reasons-to-block-uk-coal-mine-2021-03-17/rep_id:3650
3:59 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
He is not part of the planning process and although the wording of the article does not come through as clearly as it should, I don't think he was claiming to be making an official statement that government policy is to block the mine.

Of course, any such statement would have given West Cumbria Mining a cast iron case to sue the government so you might argue that a reverse Mandy Rice Davies applies.
10:37 am
Gary Bullivant said…
I took it that what he was saying was that it is right to call it in so that the compelling case could be evaluated and weighed in the balance by someone other than "local" politicians.

Of course, if he feels more strongly about it SoS BEIS has the power under Sect 6 of the Coal Act 1994 to call in the licence extension applications currently with the Coal Authority for determination.

That will succeed in kicking a second challenging decision into the lomg grass that lies beyond COP26.




1:56 pm
Chris Whiteside said…
If BEIS were going to do that I would have thought they would have done it by now.

We do have the date for the Inquiry and allowing for a month for the inspector to consider the evidence and the minister to then review the inspector's recommendations, that suggests that the decision has already effectively been deferred until shortly after the climate conference.
12:27 am
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