News : Residents of West Cumbria encouraged to have their say on a possible underground nuclear waste repository
Thousands of newsletters are being distributed to homes throughout West Cumbria this week as part of efforts to get local residents involved in one of the most important decisions facing the area.
There will also be opportunities for everyone to find out more and have their say at a series of discussion groups and drop-in events being organised across the area.
The newsletters, which have been created by community representatives on the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely (MRWS) Partnership, provide information about what a geological disposal facility might look like, what effect it may have on the area, and how people can help make the decision about whether to get involved in the Government’s search for somewhere to put a repository.
The West Cumbria MRWS Partnership – which is made up of local authorities and other stakeholders, including the Lake District National Park Authority, Churches Together in Cumbria and the National Farmer’s Union - is currently embarking on a widespread public information and consultation exercise.
Elaine Woodburn, the Leader of Copeland Borough Council, said: “The Partnership has come together because the local authorities, and a range of other community organisations, believe it is essential to find out as much as possible about what the potential positive and negative effects of having a repository here would be.
“It’s vital that people living here get involved and tell us their views. People really can help us by letting us know what information they would like us to find out for them, so they can make up their own minds on whether we should take part in the search for somewhere to put this facility.”
As part of its public and stakeholder engagement work the Partnership is also making ‘discussion packs’ available for people to get together and chat about the issues in small groups. The packs include a DVD, information about some of the issues and a number of questions for people to think about.
More than 100 discussion groups have already been arranged by a range of organisations across the area.
Young people are being encouraged to have their say at one of the 55 groups being arranged by Connexions, the advice organisation for 13 to 19 year olds.
There will be opportunities for unemployed people to get involved through 24 sessions organised through the Trades Hall Centre. The Cumbria Farmer Network has arranged 13 groups and Cumbria CVS has arranged 12 discussion groups AWAZ, which works with ethnic minorities, and the Cumbria Rural Forum, ACT, have arranged a further 10 groups between them.
Mike Davidson, an Allerdale Borough Councillor, says: “I think the discussion pack sessions are a great innovation and a real opportunity for people to get involved and discuss an issue that matters to everyone in this area. I think this will be a fascinating democratic exercise and I’m looking forward to seeing the results.”
Anyone who would like to get a pack should email their name and address to contact@westcumbriamrws.org.uk or phone 0800 048 8912 extension 1.
The Partnership has also arranged a series of community drop-in events that will take place around the county. The dates, times and locations of the drop-in events are available on the Partnership’s website at www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk. It is also possible to contact the Partnership by calling a freephone number 0800 048 8912 or by emailing contact@westcumbriamrws.org.uk.
Ends
For media enquiries please contact the Partnership’s Communications Adviser Paul Gardner at Osprey Communications on 01524-782086 or 07766-906561
w.westcumbriamrws.org.uk www.westcumbriamrws.org.uk
Notes to editors
- In addition to Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council there are a range of other organisations making up the partnership, including Barrow Borough Advisory Forum), local trade unions, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Churches Together Council, Eden District Council, South Lakeland District Council, the Lake District National Park Authority, the Cumbria Association of Local Councils, NuLeAF (the Nuclear Legacy in Cumbria, the Chamber of Commerce and the West Cumbria Sites Stakeholder Group.
- A number of other organisations attend as ‘observing members’ including Government departments, the Isle of Man Government, CoRWM (Committee on Radioactive Waste Management), the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the safety and environment regulators.
- The Government is looking for a community in the UK to volunteer to have a repository. Allerdale Borough Council, Copeland Borough Council and Cumbria County Council decided to take part in early discussions about this process on behalf of West Cumbria because a large amount of the country’s radioactive waste is already stored in the area at Sellafield.
- Taking part in discussions with the Government does not commit the Cumbrian authorities to hosting a deep geological repository and they can withdraw from the process at any point up until a time when construction would begin – estimated to be more than 10 years from now.