As thousands of visitors travelled into Cumbria for the busy August bank holiday they were greeted on Friday by large banners opposing the proposed new coal mine near Whitehaven that government have given the green light to be built with the words ‘NO TIME for a COAL MINE’.
The banners, unfolded by protesters opposed to the plans for the new coal mine targeted all the major roads leading into Cumbria on Friday 25th August the protesters part of a new anti-coal action group ‘No Time for a Coal Mine’.
Leaflets were handed out in in Penrith, Kendal, Carlisle, Keswick and Kirkby Lonsdale by the group and fly posters also appeared. Locally Penrith Band Stand and Junction 40 of the M6 had large banners displayed with the words ‘No Time for a Coal Mine’.
The controversial plans for the mine in Whitehaven were approved by the government in December, with Michael Gove giving the green light to the creation of the first deep coal mine to be built in the UK in decades.
West Cumbria Mining say the facility will extract up to 3.1 million tonnes of coal per year and create hundreds of jobs.
Former Eden Council member Ali Ross said “I am here as a protester to basically make sure that as many people as possible know this mine is still on the agenda. There is still a fight to be had and we are determined to do what we can to stop it.”
Sarah McGowan, who took part in the action says, "We can all see the impacts of climate change. In Cumbria the summer has been a washout since June, while on the Hawaiian island of Maui people escaped firestorms by jumping into the sea.”
The (IPCC) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change who are the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change has said we simply cannot afford to permit any new coal mines, the UK government is flying in the face of reason.
The anti-coal action group said “The Our banners show the strength of feeling against the coal mine and our determination to keep the coal in the ground. The mine must be stopped.”
A legal challenge against the decision to approve the new mine has been launched the legal case was due to be heard in the High Court in October 2023. This has however recently been delayed pending the outcome of another recent Supreme Court case.
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