Here we go again: Another nuclear burial ground?
First of all and this is very important, Don’t Panic. Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) have requested further information from the The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). In Jan 2018 BEIS released a Consultation: Working With Communities. This document makes it very clear that the Consultation is about a Geological Disposal Facility – an underground Nuclear dump to use plain English.
In short what BEIS wish to do is develop an engagement process with all local authorities at all levels; to facilitate the location of a suitable site for a new geological disposal facility for radioactive waste. We make it clear this is at an exploratory stage only. Nothing is set in stone.
The Cabinet Member responsible is Cllr David Godfrey (pictured below). It was he who has responded to the Consultation requesting further information. All the information can be found at the end of this post.
Now on Monday evening at Dymchurch Parish Council, Cllr Ian Meyers raised the subject and Cllr Roger Wilkins all to briefly mentioned it and then moved on very swiftly.
The only areas to explore the idea last time round were Copeland and Allerdale borough councils in Cumbria, and Shepway District Council in Kent – now Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Now of course the wonderful people of Romney Marsh rejected such a facility last time round when 63% of people rejected it in a survey. In Sept 2012 Councillors voted 21 to 13 against having a nuclear dump on the wonderful and beautiful Romney Marsh.
On that occasion Councillor Susan Carey said back in Sept 2012:
“We asked them a simple question – do you want us to go to the next stage or not – and the overwhelming majority of those who did respond said no and I think we have to listen to that.”
Yet Cllr Tony Hills (pictured below) who voted in favour last time, now the Romney Marsh KCC Cllr, said back in Sept 2012 –
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“I think a lot of people didn’t understand the question,” he said. “The question was do you want to find out more information? Like a lot of councillors I would like to find out more information and see what we are being offered. That is common sense, we need investment, we need jobs. They are not going to come out of fresh air so lets look at all that’s on the table.”
We hope this time like last time FHDC will listen to the people and if it is found that the majority of local people don’t support it, they will withdraw any proposal.
However, that said, this time round Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) have written to BEIS to request further information and that can be seen here. The decision is subject to call in by the Secretary of State.
Now of course, BEIS are once again dangling a large financial carrot in front of Council’s who are strapped for cash. And as FHDC have a projected deficit of £6.5 million by 2021/2022 might the community investment funding of up to £1 million per community, per year prove tempting? This will rise to up to £2.5 million per community, per year, for communities that progress to deep investigative boreholes that assess the potential suitability of sites. This funding will be provided through the delivery body.
However that said there is a right of withdrawal at page 43 Para 4.73 it states:
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Both the community and the delivery body may withdraw at any point up until the test of public support, during the engagement process. The delivery body may withdraw if they believe the siting process is unlikely to be successful.
The Tories wasted a shedload of cash last time on this dumb idea which was only stopped after a referendum.
So what part of NO didn’t the Tories understand?
Perhaps the local people need to send a clear message to the Tories in the May 2019 Shepway election.
If it’s safe for residents then surely it could cost effectively be put in a safe place where there is already high security… Like perhaps bury it below the houses of Parliament in that case.
liny sloth, is a classic example of a Councillor pops up in the news papers around election time and then vanishes. Remember he was that popular in Lydd he lost to UKIP and Cllr L Laws. I would suggest if you asked him to apply the same logic to the Brexit vote he would have some choice words to describe the questioner.