Is Roger Begy Conservative Leader of Rutland County Council Considering a nuclear dump for Rutland?

Posibbly a retirement gift to for the residents of Greetham, those quarries have to be filled with something! 

Rural funding

31 October 2013

Government doesn't very often dangle a large carrot (in the shape of jobs, investment and additional community benefits) in front of local government but that's very much the 'offer' now being consulted upon for any community willing to consider providing a final resting place for the nation's nuclear waste.

Many of you will no doubt recoil in horror at such a prospect but I say at least seriously consider the costs and benefits for your area. There's little to lose and possibly much to gain, providing you are sitting above a suitable geology. Government is keen to encourage all potentially interested areas to come forward.

It is now proposing to conduct initial geological assessments and socio-economic assessments to help any interested area to decide if it wants to delve deeper into the pros and cons of nuclear waste management.

No commitment is expected in return. A community can withdraw at any time if it does not like what it sees. The end point would be an engineered geological disposal facility with a significant kilometre square surface footprint and extensive deep subterranean galleries for waste emplacement.

Total spend is likely to be well in excess of £10 billion and construction spend will be £200 million per year for at least 15 years. Waste emplacement would likely take place for over 100 years before facility closure.

It could be a very significant long-term regional as well as local catalyst for regeneration. I'm not here to sell you this Government policy proposal though the content of policy has been significantly shaped by the LGA's Special Interest Group (SIG) on radioactive waste management – the Nuclear Legacy Advisory Forum (NuLeAF).

I do, however, want you to be aware of the proposals at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/ geological-disposal-facility-siting-process-review

The consultation is open to 5 December 2013. Why not comment? DECC has also organised a supporting workshop in London for local government on 14 November 2013.

To register, and obtain further details, contact: radioactivewaste@ decc.gsi.gov.uk.

National stakeholder workshops are planned in Penrith (12 November), North Wales (19 November), Exeter (21 November) and London (22 November).

For further details of these events contact: register@3kq.co.uk.

Cllr Roger Begy (Con) is Chairman of SPARSE Rural and Leader of Rutland County Council

- See more at: http://www.local.gov.uk/first-opinion/-/journal_content/56/10180/5621228/NEWS#sthash.Xjw43SkW.dpuf