Proposed sites of new nuclear power stations. See below for key
Do you live in the vicinity of one of these 11 locations, which are being proposed as potential sites for new nuclear power stations? Happy about it? If not, then you've got less than three weeks to read and respond to the information provided by the companies bidding to develop each site as part of the government's 'consultation' process.
Not only that, but if you take the information contained in the 'have your say' guide on the government's website, you'll run the risk of being seriously misled over issues as fundamental as how much nuclear actually contributes to the UK's energy mix, and how and where the spent fuel will be disposed of.
So we've created our own Nuclear Siting Consultation sheet to help you ask the right questions.
Please use it to help you effectively challenge any proposed site which may not be appropriate. Your thoughts must be submitted by the May 14 deadline. Once this is past, no additional information will be heard from the public until the planning application stage.
In the autumn the government will assess each site to decide if it meets their Strategic Siting Assesment (SSA) criteria and is suitable or potentially suitable. There are a wide variety of reasons why a site could be deemed unsuitable, ranging from proximity to population centres to local ecolology and flood dangers. But the fact that these particular sites have been proposed means that their nominating companies believe that they can get the applications through.
The government will make a decision on which sites are suitable by winter 2009, and the list of sites will be finalised in a Nuclear National Policy Statement. Listed sites can then start to apply for planning permission.
The proposed sites and the companies nominating them are:
1. Bradwell, Essex, NDA
2. Braystones, Cumbria, RWE npower
3. Dungeness, Kent, EDF Energy
4. Hartlepool, Durham, EDF Energy
5. Heysham, Lancashire, EDF Energy
6. Hinkley Point, Somerset, EDF Energy
7. Kirksanton, Cumbria, RWE npower
8. Oldbury, Gloucestershire, NDA and Eon
9. Sellafield, Cumbria, NDA
10. Sizewell, Suffolk, EDF Energy
11. Wylfa, Anglesey, RWE npower and the NDA
To have your say just click on the relevant link above. All the supporting documents supplied by the nominating company should be there, together with instructions about how you can add your comments to the nomination.
Don't forget to download our Nuclear Siting Consultation sheet first!
