Louth and Horncastle MP welcomes council pulling out of nuclear waste site partnership
Louth and Horncastle’s MP, Victoria Atkins has welcomed news that Lincolnshire County Council’s Leader, Coun Martin Hill is minded to pull the authority out of a community partnership group overseeing proposals for a nuclear waste facility.
By pulling out of the Nuclear Waste Services’ Community Partnership, the council would effectively cancel the company’s consideration of the Lincolnshire coast for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for deep burial of nuclear waste, after NWS announced that their area of focus had changed to an area of open land between Gayton le Marsh and Great Carlton, between Louth and Mablethorpe.
East Lindsey District Council had already withdrawn from the process over the change of location for a tunnel entrance for the project which would see burial of nuclear waste stretch out deep under the North Sea.
NWS still has two other sites in Cumbria that it is considering.
Simon Hughes, NWS Siting and Communities Director, said: “The UK Government’s GDF siting process in England and Wales is consent-based and requires NWS to identify both a suitable site and a willing host community. This means if the community does not ultimately express support for a GDF, it won’t be built there.”
Ms Atkins welcomed the announcement on her social media feed, saying: “I am pleased and relieved that Lincolnshire County Council is withdrawing from the Community Partnership that had been looking at building a nuclear waste dump on the Lincolnshire East Coast.
“I know how difficult the last three and a half years have been for residents, with the worry, uncertainty and financial costs hanging over them. This is why I have been steadfast in my opposition to these proposals and in my support for local residents and the campaign against these plans.
“I am pleased that both councils have listened and are withdrawing from the Community Partnership. It means the Partnership will end and Nuclear Waste Services will have to look elsewhere for their dump site. This is not a ‘willing community’ and it is time for NWS to move on.”
She added: “I hope this will bring a sense of relief to local people and I want to thank everyone who has worked hard to stop these plans.”
Local councillor Daniel McNally added on his social media: “This area is open countryside with productive agricultural land—an unsuitable location.
“I want to thank all the residents who responded to the leaflet drop and the video Victoria Atkins and I shared. The response has been overwhelming. I shared the feedback I received and the Gayton le Marsh parish survey with both council leaders. I also invited them to visit the proposed site, and they both agreed that it was utterly unacceptable.
“After reviewing residents' responses, consultation feedback, and listening to the community, LCC have decided to withdraw from the process.”
Coun McNally said: “Nuclear Waste Services' proposal for a Geological Disposal Facility is now dead, and the nuclear waste facility will not be coming to Lincolnshire.”