RADIOACTIVE rubble should NOT be allowed to be buried outside the current Sellafield site boundary.

That's the view of Copeland Council, which claims that an "unhealthy precedent" could be set if the nuclear firm is permitted to extend an existing area of landfill beyond its current boundary.

In its response to an ongoing consultation over the way Cumbrian waste - including nuclear waste - is dealt with, Copeland Council adds that its views must be taken on board when any planning application takes place.

A vast area of land to the south west of the Sellafield site boundary has been earmarked for an extension to the existing landfill for low-level waste. It is anticipated the current landfill will be at capacity by 2025.

David Moore, a member of Copeland's Executive committee, said: "The area that Sellafield Ltd wish to utilise is prime agricultural land and woodland, which is situated near the banks of the River Calder.

"It must be borne in mind that the area of the proposed site is considerable; actually about a third of the existing Sellafield site. I feel this is good quality land going to waste.

"Surely there must be an opportunity to hold discussions with the Low-Level Waste Repository, near Drigg, to explore opportunities regarding their capacity to take - and probably - utilise the waste in question, which I believe is mainly rubble.

"It is also very important that Sellafield Ltd remains within its boundaries and that an unhealthy precedent is set by allowing unwarranted expansion."

Cumbria County Council, which is responsible for ruling on planning applications on minerals and waste-related developments, is inviting comments as it prepares a document to plan how minerals are extracted and waste dealt with for the next 15 years.

After incorporating feedback received, it is expected that the county council's document - Cumbria's Minerals and Waste Plan - will be submitted to the Secretary of State this summer, and the Planning Inspectorate will hold a public examination of it later in the year.