The proposed new Woodhouse colliery will emit carbon to the equivalent of one million houses and is incompatible with UK climate ambitions, according to charity Green Alliance.

In a statement the charity also claimed that research refutes Cumbria County Council’s assertion that the £164 million mine – which would be developed by West Cumbria Mining – will be carbon neutral.

Coking coal from the mine off the coast of St Bees is intended for steelmaking, which would produce 8.4 million tonnes per year of CO2 per year, the report said.

“The UK has set a target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and has committed to switch to lower carbon steel production, announcing a Clean Steel Fund in August 2019. The proposed Cumbria mine will jeopardise these ambitions.”

The report was from a briefing by Professors Rebecca Willis and Mike Berners-Lee, Rosie Watson and Mike Elm.

It is from their document: The Case Against New Coal Mines, a policy insight published by Green Alliance, January 2020.

In it, Cumbrian-based carbon footprint expert Mike Berners-Lee has described the case for the coal mine as “bogus” and “totally flawed”. 

The report outlines four ways the steel industry should be cutting carbon: production but adds that “opening a new coal mine at this point will hinder this strategy by ensuring the continued availability of cheap coal”.

The report has been welcomed by long-standing opponent to the mine, Westmorland and Lonsdale MP, Tim Farron, whose attempt to call in West Cumbria Mining’s application was thrown out by the Government.

“At a time when we are all working towards tackling the climate emergency, it completely boggles the mind that we are ploughing ahead with opening the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years,” he said.

“We should immediately put the brakes on these plans and instead turn our focus onto how we can create thousands of new jobs in Cumbria and beyond in renewable energy.”

Mine supporter and Copeland mayor Mike Starkie has previously told Mr Farron to “butt out” of the issue and concentrate on his own constituency.

West Cumbria Mining, who will develop a processing plant on the former Marchon site at Kells, say the project is set to create 500 jobs for the region.

It was given planning approval late last year following a failed legal challenge from environmental campaigners.