A LETTER signed by more than 100 political, business and union leaders is calling for urgent action to resolve land issues at Moorside so that new nuclear power stations can be built.
Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister wrote the letter, which has been signed by fellow Cumbrian MPs Julie Minns and Markus Campbell-Savours, local members of the House of Lords, Cumberland Council leader Mark Fryer, trade union leaders in the nuclear industry and dozens of local business leaders.
Mr MacAlister says that unless urgent action is taken to resolve issues about land use at Moorside, west Cumbria will lose out in a competitive process that is now underway.
A government body, Great British Nuclear (GBN), is in the middle of a process to select sites for the UK’s first small modular reactors.
Mr MacAlister says GBN will only select sites that have enough land available and the NDA (who own Sellafield) want to use much of the Moorside site for other decommissioning purposes. This has resulted in an impasse that, if left unresolved, will leave Cumbria behind in the race for new nuclear.
The NDA says it is working with the government to consider how the land at Moorside may be used to enable new nuclear energy facilities, while taking into account how it might need to utilise the land in order to successfully deliver its mission.
Mr MacAlister said: “In my first few weeks as an MP I’ve met with ministers, the NDA, GBN and leading industry figures. It’s become clear that there’s been a conspiracy of silence for years over plans for new nuclear in our area.
“The last government told our community to wait in line and trust the process. But having looked in detail at the process, we’ve been set up to fail because of competing claims on land at Moorside.
“The NDA want to use a large chunk of the land at Moorside for potential future decommissioning activity. If all of the land they want is taken out then there’s not enough land left to build the number of small modular reactors Great British Nuclear wants.
“Today, over 100 local leaders are ringing the alarm on this. Our ask is simple - this is land designated for new nuclear use and it should be prioritised for new nuclear use. The NDA should develop contingency plans for their future land needs and buy alternative land for future decommissioning activity if and when the need arises.
“West Cumbria has the land ready to go, the strong community consent, the skills and the nuclear infrastructure which make our area the perfect location for new nuclear. We do not want to miss out on another opportunity.”
An NDA spokesperson said: “We are committed to decommissioning our sites safely, securely, and sustainably, leaving a positive long-lasting legacy for future generations.
“We’re continuing to work with the government and Great British Nuclear to explore how we can use our expertise, resource, and assets to support delivery of UK government priorities, including greater energy independence, whilst ensuring we continue to deliver our mission.
“We are working with the government to consider how the land at Moorside may be used to enable new nuclear energy facilities, taking into account factors including how we might need to utilise it in order to successfully deliver our mission.”
A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesperson said: “New nuclear power stations will play an important role in helping the UK achieve energy security and clean power while creating thousands of skilled jobs.
“Moorside is one of several sites that have the capability to host future civil nuclear projects, though no decisions have yet been made.
“We will continue to support Sellafield and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in its important mission to manage our nuclear legacy and clean-up sites safely.”
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The letter calls on Ed Miliband to intervene and direct the NDA and Greater British Nuclear to prioritise the land at Moorside for new nuclear use and ensure as much as is needed for that purpose is made available.
It goes on to say that, “if Moorside is prioritised for new nuclear, and if the NDA have a detailed contingency for additional land, we are confident that the Moorside site will perform well in the GBN assessment”.
Great British Nuclear are set to choose sites to build new nuclear power plants by February 2025 but the process of understanding land availability is already under way.
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