Nuclear waste plan 'would scar Lincolnshire Wolds'

A council is set to withdraw from talks to bury nuclear waste in the countryside.

Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), a government body, has earmarked an area near Louth, Lincolnshire, to build a disposal facility.

However, East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) leader Craig Leyland said the scheme would "scar" agricultural land, and a consultation process had served only to "antagonise and distress" residents.

NWS thanked the district council for taking part in the talks and said it would continue working with Lincolnshire County Council.

In 2021, the district council joined a community partnership group with NWS to examine a previous proposal to bury waste at a former gas terminal in Theddlethorpe, near Mablethorpe.

Last month, NWS announced it had moved the proposed location of the facility to land between Gayton le Marsh and Great Carlton.

But Leyland said the new proposal would "scar several kilometres of Lincolnshire farmland on the margins of the Lincolnshire Wolds".

He also said the consultation process had "not been effective" and the council had not been given all the information it needed from NWS.

East Lindsey councillors will be asked to formally vote to withdraw from the consultation.

The move will not automatically kill the plan, which requires "community consent" to go ahead, as NWS is still working with the county council.

NWS siting and communities director Simon Hughes said: "NWS extends its gratitude to East Lindsey District Council Craig Leyland for their engagement and commitment throughout the geological disposal facility (GDF) siting process.

"Their willingness to explore the potential for a GDF in the search area… has been invaluable in ensuring an open and informed discussion about the future for long-term disposal of radioactive waste.

"Their participation has played a key role in facilitating public dialogue and providing people in the search area with opportunities to learn more about the process, its implications and potential benefits.

"We recognise the council's commitment to representing all their communities' voices and engaging in constructive conversations about the GDF siting process. And we understand their decision to withdraw from the process."

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) remains in the process, but leader Councillor Martin Hill said the authority shared some of ELDC's concerns about the new location.

"Unlike other nationally significant infrastructure projects, like pylons and large-scale solar farms, residents will choose whether this GDF goes ahead," he said.

"We're clear that residents should be given that opportunity as soon as possible."

The council would "consider its options" after hearing feedback from NWS's latest round of community consultation, Hill added.

Mr Hughes said: "We remain fully committed to working with Lincolnshire County Council as the remaining relevant principal local authority in the community partnership as we continue the search for a suitable site for a GDF."

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.