Nuclear waste plans for site near Louth could be dropped

It looks like plans for a nuclear waste disposal facility near Louth might be abandoned once and for all.

Consultations have been taking place on a site between Gayton le Marsh and Great Carlton.

Lincolnshire county council is now considering leaving the consultation process and if it that's agreed at an executive meeting it could mean the whole idea is dropped.

In January, NWS —formerly known as Radioactive Waste Management—identified three ‘areas of focus’ for the facility.

These included locations in Mid Copeland and South Copeland in Cumbria, as well as land between Gayton le Marsh and Great Carlton, near Louth.

There was a lot of public anger

As a result East Lindsey District Council pledged to withdraw from the working group, citing concerns that the site was completely different from the former gas terminal location in Theddlethorpe, which had previously been under consideration.

There was a lot of public anger which led to protests outside East Lindsey District council.

Now it's understood Lincolnshire county council's executive will discuss the matter with the leadership suggesting it's minded to withdraw.

The council says they originally agreed to begin consultations because they wanted to go into the process with an open mind and hear the facts before letting local decide.

They believe it changes the very nature of the proposal and, understandably, raised further concerns within the local community.

Responding to the news, Simon Hughes, NWS siting and communities director, said: “We understand Lincolnshire County Council’s (LCC) current position."

The UK Government’s GDF siting process is consent-based

"LCC has advocated for residents to have the opportunity to have access to the information they need to make an informed decision about hosting a GDF."

"Their participation is playing a key role in facilitating conversations with local people about the process, its implications, and potential benefits."

“NWS has held many public events and produced dedicated websites, newsletters, and met regularly with local people and stakeholders."

"We have to date granted over £2million to support local community projects for engaging in the process."

"Longer-term, a GDF has the potential to provide the host community with significant opportunities for a local workforce, skills, and education, as well as many other benefits such as improvements to local transport and infrastructure."

“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.”

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