Plans for a new nuclear reactor in West Cumbria are at risk due to the Government, a Labour MP candidate has claimed.
Josh MacAlister, who has been chosen to represent the party in the next General Election for Workington & Whitehaven, said the Conservative government was blocking £6 billion-worth of investment because it would not sell land next to the Sellafield complex.
He claimed that Solway Community Power Company, headed up by ex-Sellafield chief executive Paul Foster, had attracted the cash to build a Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactor next to Sellafield, but the Government needed to move to help make it happen.
Mr MacAlister has written to Conservative minister Claire Coutinho, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, to ask the Government to take three important steps.
He has launched a campaign – which he hoped would be cross-party – for New Nuclear Now.
He said Solway Community Power Company has identified part of Moorside as a possible location for the SMR, but the Government would not sell it.
Cumbria Crack contacted the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for a response, but was given guidance that it planned to consult on how future nuclear developments could be sited in future, in line with a National Policy Statement that the Government was developing.
Mr MacAlister has asked the minister for the sale to proceed.
He is also calling on the government to boost staffing at the Office of Nuclear Regulation, which currently takes three years to approve designs for new nuclear power stations – something the nuclear industry says is a major bottleneck to moving forward with building new nuclear, and is seeking designation of West Cumbria as a priority site for new nuclear, giving confidence to workers, businesses, training providers and the supply chain so that we can be ready to make new nuclear happen.
Mr MacAlister said: “Our area has a proud history of shaping the UK’s future and we can again. Bringing back nuclear power to our area is critical for lowering bills and unlocking new energy-intensive industrial jobs. Jobs that would put West Cumbria at the front of the race to transition to net zero.
“That’s why I’m launching a cross-party New Nuclear Now campaign. There’s a locally led plan for new nuclear power but government roadblocks are putting it at risk.”
A petition has been created as part of the campaign and can be found at
Residents can find out more and support the campaign at newnuclearnow.uk.
