Britain's first new coal mine in decades on the verge of approval

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.

Mr Gove has until July 7 to make his final decision, but Whitehall sources said that it could come much earlier - potentially as soon as mid-May.

Tata Steel and Chinese-owned British Steel have stopped importing Russian coking coal in the meantime. Both companies have found alternative supplies from mines in Wales, the US and Canada, Government sources said.

Bosses at West Cumbria Mining, the site's owner, are believed to have been buoyed by feedback from the planning inquiry.

An industry expert with knowledge of the project said: “It is clear the world has changed. Ukraine has reminded us that energy and commodity security is a primary duty of any state.

“If the answer is more renewable energy, you simply can’t build renewable energy power plants – solar, tidal, hydro or wind – or nuclear, without steel. Without metallurgical coal, you can’t make steel. And you don’t want to be importing it from halfway around the world or Russia.”

Despite significant government support for giving the mine the go-ahead, Mr Gove will be aware that his decision is likely to be subject to a legal challenge.

To go against the recommendation of the Planning Inspectorate could weaken the Government’s position were it to go to the High Court, sparking further embarrassment for ministers.

Earlier this month, judges quashed plans to build a Holocaust memorial outside Parliament – plans that had been subject to a planning inquiry and signed off  by the then planning minister Chris Pincher.

The housing department has been more interventionist under Mr Gove than his predecessors.

Last week, it blocked plans to demolish and rebuild Marks & Spencer’s flagship Oxford Street store in London, saying that Mr Gove needed time to consider whether an inquiry should be launched.

Mr Gove also sprung a surprise by blocking the building of Foster and Partners’ controversial Tulip tower in the City of London in November. Sources close to the deal said Mr Gove ultimately disagreed with the positive assessment by his predecessor Robert Jenrick.

West Cumbria Mining declined to comment.

Earlier this month, a spokesman said: “We look forward to a decision where the Government supports our project to build the world’s first net-zero mine to supply a new domestic source of metallurgical coal for Britain and Europe’s steelmakers.”