by Alan Irving

Published at 16:48, Thursday, 19 July 2012

IT’S now up to three Cumbrian local authorities whether to try and find somewhere in the area to bury highly radioactive nuclear waste.

But top level Cumbria, Copeland and Allerdale councillors today (Thursday) promised that the crucial decision will be made in public at Executive and Cabinet meetings.

Tim Knowles (county council Cabinet member), Elaine Woodburn and Alan Smith, leaders of Copeland and Allerdale boroughs respectively, are adamant that the final decision will not be a fait accompli in favour of going forward to search for a suitable geological site deep underground in West Cumbria.

One of county’s biggest decisions is expected to be made in October following the decision today by West Cumbria’s Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership to approve a 221-page document covering all the issues in three years’ work.

And while the Partnership won’t make any recommendations to the council decision-makers, it calls on government to give cast iron legal guarantees to honour assurances over community benefits and the right for any potential ‘host community’ to pull out before construction starts.

Lack of trust is said to be the root of key concerns.

Copeland Council leader Elaine Woodburn said: “There is always an issue about trust but if I was sat there in a potential siting area I’d want to make sure the local authorities and government delivered so it has to be put on a legal footing that binds the government (whatever colour and whatever timescale) to come through.

“There’s still a helluva lot of questions to be answered before we say yes or no. Community benefits are important but clearly getting the geology, safety and security are the most important parts.

“I live in Copeland, I want to make the right decision for me and my family and the people I represent.

“And we need a commitment from government that they will put it on a legal footing that we will get the benefits that should come with hosting a national facility if it were to go forward.”

Asked if there was a danger of a fait accompli, Coun Knowles, county council Cabinet member for environment, said: “Absolutely not. We’ve got 84 members in the county council and there are a significant number of councillors involved with the district councils.

"They will express their views and it would be a foolish Executive of any authority that ignores them. Of course, the public I’m sure will express its own views - now and when the local authorities make their decision.”

Coun Knowles said he would have preferred all county councillors to vote on the decision, but added: “The good thing is they will be involved in a very full and open discussion about the issue prior to cabinet making the decision but we are where we are on local government legislation and we have taken legal advice and we have to do what the law requires.

“Every aspect of those discussions is always capable of being challenged right up to and including things like judicial review. It is hugely important and we need to make sure what we do is right for Cumbria.”

Allerdale Council leader Alan Smith said: “I’ve still got an open mind and I am quite happy with the discussions we’ve had over the last three years.

“There’s no back doors, no smoke and mirrors, we’ve tried to do everything in a positive, open forum.”

Coun Smith also stressed for legislation in order to honour commitments. “If it’s in legislation it can’t be lost in years ahead. We need these reassurances.”

Marianne Birkby, for Radiation Free Lakeland, said: "I think it’s horrendous, we shouldn’t be here in the first place. To me this is being presented as a fait accompli but won’t be if enough people say ‘no’ - they’ve been very cunning, a bit like sitting a frog in a pan of water, if the frog could see the danger then it would be away immediately but because they haven’t actually said it’s going to be here then communities haven’t been galvanised to oppose.”

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