West Cumbria Mining Ltd (WCM) must wait a further two months to hear the fate of its plans for a coking coal mine under the Irish Sea off the coast of Whitehaven in Cumbria.
CONSIDERATIONS
Following a public inquiry, the Department for Levelling Up Housing & Communities has twice deferred issuing its decision.
Secretary of State Greg Clark was due to make his decision on or around 17 August.
WCM said that department officials had put back the date as they were “not yet in a position to complete their considerations prior to providing advice to ministers.”
“Therefore ministers would not be in a position to reach a decision by the revised 17 August deadline, following the previous extension from the original deadline of 7 July, ” added WCM in a brief statement.
“They have confirmed that the Secretary of State will now issue his decision on or before 8th November 2022.”
WCM said it would issue a further statement once it had received the decision.