The Planning Inspectorate will today (25 February) be making its recommendation to the Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng MP over the Sizewell C nuclear power plant development and the Nuclear Free Local Authorities hope the Minister will “think well” before making the final decision to proceed.
NFLA Chair, Councillor David Blackburn, explained why the Minister should “think well” over Sizewell.
“The proposed reactor design – the EPR – has a questionable safety record, with a recent serious accident at a Chinese EPR plant last summer revealing that the design may be fatally flawed; similar projects to Sizewell C in Somerset, France and Finland have been plagued by long delays or delivered vastly over budget; the development cannot go ahead without massive public subsidy; the electricity produced will cost vastly more that equivalent supplies sourced from renewables; the operator of the plant, EDF, is in real financial difficulties; and nuclear is not benign – it carries the risk of accidents and the hazards of nuclear waste – and the NFLA has real fears over the impact of the plant on the local environment and the people who would live around it.”
After a period of public consultation called the Examination which ended on 14 October 2021, the Planning Inspectorate has reviewed the proposals in light of the comments received and has until today to report back with its recommendation to the Secretary of State.
Councillor Blackburn is aware that representations about the proposals from concerned citizens and local parish councils raise many practical concerns.
“Most of the public responses have been negative, and many have raised practical points that argue against a new development on the site, such as the lack of potable water; the increase in road traffic during the prolonged construction period; the need to bring in millions of tons of materials for construction; concerns about the lack of housing and amenities for the plant workers; pollution; and the impact on local areas of outstanding beauty, tourism, birdlife and the decimation of local fish stocks.”
The NFLA also fears that in the long-term an operational plant could be endangered because of climate change.
“Our long-term fear is that the plant would eventually be inundated as the East Coast erodes and as our sea levels rise because of global warming. None of us want to see a repeat of Fukushima in Suffolk. Ironically the only thing that might save the plant would be a stabilisation in global temperatures brought out by a more radical and rapid adoption of renewables!”
It is with conviction then that Councillor Blackburn hopes that the Minister will say “Non” to the French power generator.
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For more information please contact Richard Outram, Secretary, NFLA
Email Richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk / Mobile 07583 097793