A MOVE to persuade villagers to call on the Government to close the Sizewell nuclear power stations on the grounds that they are “indefensible” terrorist targets has failed.

By David Green

A MOVE to persuade villagers to call on the Government to close the Sizewell nuclear power stations on the grounds that they are “indefensible” terrorist targets has failed.

The motion was put to Dunwich Parish Meeting by local resident, Charles Barnett, chairman of the Shut Down Sizewell Campaign, but was rejected by 21 votes to seven, with ten abstentions.

The vote followed a debate in which several residents expressed their irritation, claiming Mr Barnett was continuing to pursue his anti-nuclear campaign through the parish meeting.

The “emergency” motion, seconded by Mr Barnett's wife, Mary, was originally backed 4-1 by the parish meeting's power stations committee.

But a larger number of residents turned out to the main parish meeting on Friday night and the motion was heavily lost.

Sir Anthony Hurrell, who spoke against the motion, said there was evidence - and it was also his belief - that the Sizewell power stations were unlikely to become primary targets in preference to other national targets.

He said Mr Barnett's motion was “ill-advised” and could not achieve its aim of instructing the Government to close the site.

Parish meeting chairman, Michael Clarke, said yesterday that the motion proposed by Mr Barnett did not represent “the realistic view of the village.”

Mr Clarke said there had been considerable irritation at the meeting over its regular use by Mr Barnett to expound his anti-nuclear theories.

Mr Barnett said last night that he took solace in the fact that five more people had voted for the closure of the power stations than when the issue was last discussed and that ten local residents had abstained.

“Dunwich remains a conservative village and many residents are prejudiced against us because of what they regard as left-wing views, but we shall continue with the struggle.

“The Sizewell nuclear power stations are less than two miles way and are a legitimate subject for Dunwich Parish Meeting, particularly in view of the fact that Government documents suggest a terrorist strike on Britain is inevitable and that nuclear power stations are among the likely targets,” he added.

Mr Barnett said he was disappointed that no local resident had bothered to read the Government's terrorist risk assessment report which had been made available at his house.

(blob) One of the twin reactors at the Sizewell A nuclear power station is likely to be back in operation within the next day or two.

The reactor “tripped” on Friday night as the result of an instrument failure on the generator, the noise causing alarm among some residents.

British Nuclear Group said smoke seen coming from the power station was merely steam and that there had been no release of radioactivity.

david.green@eadt.co.uk