A High Court judge has thrown out the decision to approve the first coal mine in the UK for 30 years.

In a ruling on Friday, September 13, the decision by Justice Holgate will now likely make the Government reconsider the planning application for the Whitehaven Coal Mine, this time taking into consideration the damage that could be down to the climate.

Friends of the Earth and South Lakeland Action On Climate Change who challenged the original Conservative decision to allow the mine approval celebrated the announcement.

In a post on social media Friends of the Earth said: “We won! Planning permission for the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years has been quashed.

“The court agreed with Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change that the lifetime emissions of the Whitehaven mine (mostly from burning coal) weren’t properly considered, and its approval was unlawful.

“The government will now have to decide whether to allow the mine to be built, taking into account its full climate impact. It conceded that planning permission had been unlawfully granted and withdrew its defence against our legal challenge ahead of it being heard, so here’s hoping we’re reporting on some more positive climate news soon.”

The ruling comes after the Supreme Court’s ruling in the “Finch v Surrey County Council” case, which determined that planning applications for new extraction projects must consider emissions from burning fossil fuels, not just the emissions produced during extraction.

West Cumbria Mining provided a comment on the decision of Justice Holgate saying: “West Cumbria Mining will consider the implications of the High Court judgement and has no comment to make at this time.”

The MP for Whitehaven and Workington Josh MacAlister said it was no surprise and that he had been ‘skeptical about whether the business case stacked up’.

He also reiterated his aim for the area to have well-paid, high quality, long term jobs in the industries of the future.