UK’s first new coalmine for 30 years gets go-ahead in Cumbria

People demonstrate against the proposed coalmine in Cumbria outside the Home Office in London in September 2021. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

The UK will build its first new coalmine for three decades at Whitehaven in Cumbria, despite objections locally, across the UK and from around the world.

Michael Gove, the levelling up secretary, gave the green light for the project on Wednesday, paving the way for an estimated investment of £165m that will create about 500 new jobs in the region and produce 2.8m tonnes of coking coal a year, largely for steelmaking.