A RESHUFFLE of the Prime Minister’s cabinet could have major implications for the Cumbrian political landscape while the debate over plans for a coal mine rumbles on.

Communities, housing and Local Government secretary Robert Jenrick has been replaced in the Prime Minister’s cabinet by Michael Gove.

Jenrick made the decision to split Cumbria into two unitary authorities earlier this year and work is now underway to establish two councils by 2023.

The secretary of state for communities and housing also holds the power to “call-in” planning applications so that they have to be approved or rejected by Government rather than the Local Authority.

It was therefore Jenrick’s decision to call-in West Cumbria Mining’s application for a coking coal mine in Whitehaven sparking the public inquiry which is ongoing.

Evidence given by all parties for and against the mine will now be presented to Michael Gove who will make the final decision on if it should go ahead.

Yesterday the inquiry heard from Professor Paul Ekins OBE from the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources and University College London.

Professor Ekins set out why he feels the market for coal is to unstable to make the mine viable.

Calling Professor Ekins as a witness, Estelle Dehon legal representative for South Lakes Action on Climate Change said: “The developer, WCM says as a point against you that coking coal is a derived demand and they say that’s a reason why you’re economic analysis falls over. So it would be quite surprising to them to hear you say that it is a derived demand. So can you explain why you’re economic analysis remains even though we’re dealing here with something that is a derived demand?”

Professor Ekins said: “The demand for coking coal clearly depends on the demand for steel. It’s been reported to me various times that WCM has said the demand for steel is fixed and it would be produced whatever happens to other economic circumstances and I simply don’t understand that.”

Supporters of the mine including Copeland MP Trudy Harrison believe a demand for steel will always exist in the development of net zero Carbon projects such as the Small Modular Reactors planned for Moorside.

They say that British coking coal for the production of British steel is kinder to the environment, as it is not being shipped from elsewhere.