Deep coal mining is on course to return to Britain five years after the last pit shut.
Planning officials at Cumbria county council have recommended approving a £160 million mine that would create 500 jobs and end the country’s dependence on the US for imports of coking coal to make steel.
The council is expected to approve the application from West Cumbria Mining on Friday, but environmental groups are demanding that the government intervene to block it. They claim that it is inconsistent with the UK target of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
The application presents a dilemma for Boris Johnson because he wants to position the UK as a global leader on tackling climate change. However, he is also under pressure from Conservative
