Bradwell: Public meeting to outline new nuclear plant plans

A campaign group fighting the plans for a plant at Bradwell will also have the opportunity to argue its case about why the site is unsuitable.

The public meeting is taking place at The Mersea Centre in High Street, West Mersea, at 7pm on Wednesday.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, recently confirmed the Bradwell site is on the shortlist for new nuclear development.

At the meeting, the department’s head of new nuclear development, Hergen Haye, will present the Government’s argument and listen to the public’s concerns.

The Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (Banng) has said this meeting could be the last opportunity for the people of Essex to have Bradwell removed from the shortlist.

“The case for Bradwell is less than convincing,” said Banng chairman Andy Blowers.

“Highly-radioactive waste will be stored indefinitely on a site liable to flooding, there will be severe impacts on the Blackwater estuary from the huge cooling water requirement, and it will be more or less impossible to evacuate some local communities in the event of a nuclear incident.

“And, in this latest consultation, the Government has revealed very tall cooling towers – that would dominate the Blackwater estuary – may be required if more than one reactor were to be built.”

Strong criticisms of the Government’s proposals have been made by Colchester Borough Council and West Mersea Town Council

“It seems pretty clear Bradwell is not an option as far as communities are concerned,” Mr Blowers said. “At the meeting we intend to spell out why.”

A spokesman from the Department of Energy and Climate Change said: “From the detailed assessment we have carried out, we think the site at Bradwell has potential to be developed as a new nuclear power station. We launched a consultation on the revised Energy National Policy Statements on this just over two weeks ago and want to hear what local people have to say.”