Cumbria County Council’s Environmental Scrutiny Panel (ESP) has unanimously upheld the council’s previous decision to withdraw from government’s search for an underground nuclear waste repository.

On 30 January councillors voted seven to three against continuing the (‘stage four’) search for a suitable facility as part of the Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) process. The decision overruled a public opinion survey that found that 53 per cent of Cumbrian residents were in favour of building a facility in either Copeland or Allerdale.

According to the council, doubts over the suitability of the geology at Cumbria as well as fears over damaging the Lake District’s image were reasons for voting against continuing with the search.

However, the ESP was called to a meeting on Tuesday (19 February), to reconsider the verdict of 30 January after a number of councillors, including David Southward MBE, Frank Morgan and Wendy Skillicorn, asked for the decision to be ’called-in’.

In a letter from the three councillors to Nick Evans, Senior Manager for Democratic Services at Cumbria County Council (CCC), concerns were raised over the council’s perceived lack of consideration given to the opinion of local residents.

Other concerns listed by the councillors included:

• Cabinet gave no ‘coherent’ reason for the decision;
• The decision ‘[forewent] the opportunity to identify suitable sites indefinitely’;
• ‘Premature abandonment’ of the MRWS process ‘[flew] in the face of established UK government and Cumbria County Council (CCC) policies’;
• The decision ‘jeopardised relations’ between UK government and CCC, particularly with regard to new build;
• The decision ‘stultified economic development in Copeland for a generation’.

Speaking at the ESP meeting on Tuesday, Councillor Southward, told the meeting: “I know of no coherent reason why Cabinet took the decision it did.”

He added that the council should have added conditions and safeguards to overcome concerns rather than totally withdraw from the process.

“This has rendered Cumbria County Council a spent force in government”, he continued.

“This is one last chance to rectify a colossal blunder. Please take it.”

Unanimous decision

However, despite Southward’s petition, all 11 members of the ESP unanimously agreed the original decision should stand.

According to the Westmorland Gazette, Conservative leader of the CCC Councillor Eddie Martin said in his response that the ESP voted to uphold the council’s original decision due to the ‘cumulative effect’ of a number of unanswered questions, and a failure to get proper reassurances from the government.

“This particular issue is not Copeland specific. It affects the whole of Cumbria and my responsibility is to the people of Cumbria, not Westminster. I’m not beholden to Westminster or David Cameron. The people of Cumbria elected me, not David Cameron”, he said.

Speaking of government’s promise to compensate the area that does agree to host the site, Councillor Martin added that there had be no indication of the precise amount of money the county could expect as benefits package.

“If you want us to store the nation’s nuclear waste… for ever and ever and ever in perpetuity, it will cost you. There will be a price to pay. No price was ever forthcoming and we raised it time and time again. All we were promised was half-a-million for Lake District branding.”

Read more about Cumbria County Council’s decision to withdraw.