Conservatives' push to identify 'suitable sites' for nuclear reactors in Telford and Wrekin is defeated
A Conservative move to get Telford and Wrekin’s local plan to ‘identify suitable sites’ for small nuclear reactors was defeated as the borough’s all important development blueprint moved to the next stage.
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Conservative councillor Steve Bentley told the full Telford & Wrekin Council meeting that he worked in the nuclear industry and “I don’t glow” as he proposed his motion with the backing of his group leader.
Councillor Bentley (Ercall Magna) said that small modular nuclear reactors had a development cost of between £50m and £300m and are safe.
“I worked in the nuclear industry and I don’t glow,” he said. He added that the energy source was not dependant on the weather, unlike wind and solar power.
Councillor Bentley’s motion welcomed a “recent announcement” by the Prime Minister that the “Government is to begin a program of construction, and investment into the provision of nuclear energy small modular reactors across the nation".
He called on the council to seek “through effective public consultation in our emerging local plan to identify suitable sites within the borough".
His colleague and Tory group leader Councillor Tim Nelson (Newport North) said that the “time will come when this sort of energy will be part of the mix".
Councillor Carolyn Healy (Labour, Ironbridge Gorge) is the council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, planning and sustainability and leading the local plan review.
She said identifying such sites would be “premature” and the issue was “not appropriate in this plan review.”
Councillor Thomas Janke (Lib Dem, Newport South) said there were “potential risks” and if it did materialise, “planning and consultation” would be crucial.
The motion was lost as Labour councillors imposed their big majority to vote against the Tories as the Lib Dems abstained.
Earlier in February PA News reported that ministers have pledged to create thousands of highly skilled jobs by reforming planning rules to make it easier to build new nuclear reactors.
The reforms will clear a path for so-called small modular reactors to be built for the first time in the UK – which the Government said would help to deliver clean, secure and more affordable energy.
