East Yorkshire MP calls for a referendum on nuclear waste plans
The Holderness area is being considered as a storage site
An East Yorkshire MP is calling for a referendum on proposals to dispose of nuclear waste in the region.
Government agency Nuclear Waste Services is exploring the possibility of storing nuclear waste underground in South Holderness.
They're promising it'll only go ahead if there's strong public support and say it will provide a major boost to jobs and investment.
We spoke to Beverley and Holderness MP Graham Stuart about the issue.
I'm sceptical until their case has been made
He told us: "We must have a referendum of the affected area so that every single family and person - every adult - gets to vote and decide."
"This is a conversation worth having but we need those reassurances."
"It's NWS's job to prove to us that it would be safe."
"It's their job to prove to us that it would benefit out area."
"I'm sceptical until that case has been made."
"My understanding is it would take about 1 kilometre square area on the surface somewhere in the Withernsea area."
You wouldn't want something like that underground here
"There would be 4,000 jobs in the construction phase and 2 thousand jobs for the long term - a hundred years plus."
"Nothing is gong to be pushed on us in the short term but there could be benefits to us - if we gets the benefits we want and we choose to engage."
We asked people in Withernsea their views.
One told us: "Why round here though?"
Another said: "You wouldn't want something like that underground here - I just think nuclear stuff like that needs to be well out the way of a populated area."
A third told us "I can't believe in a seaside town it's going to be great for tourism to dump nuclear waste."
One man said "Creating jobs is good isn't it but the sale value of houses can go down."