Published at 11:25, Friday, 21 November 2008

CUMBRIA County Council has been accused of “negating democracy” by denying councillors a vote on whether Cumbria should take the first step towards having a radioactive waste repository.

Controversial: The current Drigg Low Level Waste Repository site entrance

The Government is inviting local authorities to volunteer to have high-level nuclear waste buried in return for investment in roads, school and other public services. Copeland Council has already agreed to make a no-strings “expression of interest”.

Cumbria County Council’s cabinet is also expected to put forward Copeland as a potential site. But when the full council met yesterday, many councillors were furious that the decision, expected next month, was being taken without them having a vote.

Liberal Democrat Stan Collins said: “It is fundamentally undemocratic that the council cannot make a decision on this.

“Arguably it is the most important decision we have ever taken. The consequences will reach down generations for thousands of years ahead.”

And Conservative Philip Chappelhowe said: “To have five people decide the future of this county, I think that’s completely wrong.

“It will ruin our tourism. It will ruin our farming. It will ruin Cumbria. I am totally against it.”

A Liberal Democrat attempt to force the vote was ruled out of order by council chairman Tom Clare – but there was a vigorous debate.

Labour’s Alan Clark said he had doubts about a repository but argued that Cumbria should express an interest. He said: “If we express an interest we will be at the negotiating table. We shall get the facts on what is on offer.”

Fellow Labour member Ronnie Calvin was against it.

He said: “Do we want a giant cauldron under Cumbria bubbling and festering?

“I’m not selling my family’s soul for coppers. Let them take it elsewhere.”

But Conservative Roger Bird predicted that a repository would be built in Cumbria and the important thing was to ensure that any waste buried would be retrievable.

The council also heard from representatives of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth.

Marianne Bennett, of Greenpeace, said: “Cumbria is the only county being groomed to accept the unacceptable. We know that the geology of the Copeland area is the worst possible for a nuclear dump.”

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk