Theddlethorpe nuclear waste site: Informed decision needed, says council

Residents must be clear about plans to build a nuclear waste site in their village before deciding on them, a council leader has said.

A former gas terminal in Theddlethorpe, near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire, was announced as a possible location for an underground disposal facility in 2021.

A public vote on whether to approve the plans may not take place until 2027.

Craig Leyland of East Lindsey District Council said it was "critical" voters made an "informed decision".

The proposal by Nuclear Waste Services - formerly known as Radioactive Waste Management - for a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) would see nuclear waste from the UK being stored underneath up to 1,000m of solid rock until its radioactivity had naturally decayed.

The plans have "had a detrimental effect on physical and mental health" of residents, according to Travis Hesketh, an Independent Group councillor at East Lindsey District Council.

He called for a review into residents' views on the GDF at a meeting on Wednesday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Danny Brookes from the Skegness Urban District Society voiced his opposition to the plans and called for a decision to be made before the proposed 2027 date, which was given by leader of the local authority Mr Leyland.

"I just think it's outrageous. No matter how much money they offer you, we shouldn't have nuclear waste on our doorstep," he said.

"A government runs a country in four years, sends people to war, surely we can have the information pretty quickly and then people can make a decision on whether they want nuclear waste on the coast."

Consultation sessions to help people find out more about the plans took place in August with the public promised the final say in a "binding" referendum.

"The consultation needs to be informed, and people need to have a full appreciation of everything that they are discussing," said Conservative councillor Tom Ashton.

Mr Leyland, who also represents the Conservatives, maintained the local authority's neutrality over the plans and said: "Whether residents [are] for or against the GDF, they need to make an informed decision.

"I can understand residents' impatience and concerns, but it's critical that the test of public support is made with all the relevant information so that the response is informed."

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