East Lindsey District Council wants to claim costs for nuclear waste site work

A council is seeking to claim costs incurred while participating in a process that could see a nuclear waste site built in Lincolnshire.

Following a demonstration outside the East Lindsey District Council offices in Horncastle, members backed a motion urging leader Craig Leyland (Conservative) to pursue a claim against Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) for expenses incurred during the Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) process.

The council's executive is set to discuss withdrawing from the process on April 23 after the government agency ruled out the former gas terminal site in Theddlethorpe, instead considering land between Gayton le Marsh and Great Carlton, near Louth. Two other sites, in Mid Copeland and South Copeland in Cumbria, are also under consideration.

Campaigners have called for Lincolnshire County Council to withdraw as well, hoping it would put an end to the plans.

However, leaders are considering holding a formal ballot on the issue next year.

Coun Travis Hesketh (Ind) proposed the motion.

Ahead of the meeting, he said: "We want compensation from NWS.

"We have got very talented people at East Lindsey, very good leadership, and they've had to put considerable time and effort into working in good faith with NWS on this nuclear dump.

"They said they would make sure taxpayers were never out of pocket.

"Well, we are, because those guys could have been working on other projects that could have delivered millions of pounds to our community."

During the meeting, he told colleagues he believed there was a valid claim for £25 million, covering the cost of third-party advisories, internal ELDC meetings, and additional staff.

Initially, he suggested splitting the funding, with half going towards sea defences and the other half to communities most affected by the five-year ordeal.

However, it was later agreed that a politically balanced committee would decide how the money is allocated.

Responding to the motion, Coun Leyland highlighted that he had instructed the chief executive to examine the matter in detail.

"We have been involved in this over a period of time," he said.

"We haven’t, in terms of consultancy work, engaged with anyone to do any research work. But we will get to an understanding of what’s been involved."

Simon Hughes, NWS Siting and Communities Director, said: “In 2022 ELDC and LCC voluntarily formed a community partnership with NWS and other members to understand what hosting a GDF might mean for the community.

”We are delighted to be able to unlock millions of pounds of funding for each community participating in the GDF Siting process.

"The Theddlethorpe GDF Community Partnership has already awarded over £2 million to a variety of local community projects including an employability programme, a befriending service and a food bank.

“The GDF programme has the potential to transform a local community and strengthen the UK's energy infrastructure, creating thousands of jobs locally.

"A recent independent report published by Midlands Engine provides an overview of the socio-economic landscape of East Lindsey, and highlights how a GDF could benefit the area.”