Nick Ferrari queries mixed messages over climate change and a new UK coal mine
14 February 2020, 09:28
Nick Ferrari asked the Housing Secretary if the government is really serious about climate change if they open the UK's first new coal mine for 30 years.
Extinction Rebellion protesters yesterday dug up the lawn outside the Home Office, demanding that Robert Jenrick rejects approval for the expansion of the Bradley Opencast Mine.
Nick said to him: "You can see a bit of their point. This is the first British coal mine for 30 years and this is as you and other colleagues in the government are ensuring that certain types of vehicle are phased out, oil companies are being moved towards zero emissions.
"And yet Britain is building a coal mine - the first one in three decades. Why would that be?"
Mr Jenrick responded: "Any member of the public or company is entitled to bring forward a planning application and it is then determined in line with our planning policies.
"Our planning policies have a presumption against coal because we're moving away from coal as a country. We're in the process of decommissioning all of our coal-fired power stations.
"We'll have to see what happens with this particular application."
Nick said it seemed like a mixed message, but Mr Jenrick insisted: "Not from the government, no, because the planning system we have created mitigates against coal.
"This application will have to be assessed by the local authority and if it does come to me as the Secretary of State, we'll obviously do it on the merits of the application."
Watch the interview at the top of the page.
