Norfolk: Nuclear planning decisions to be taken out of local control

5.25.09pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 27th Oct 2006

Powers to decide where new nuclear power stations should be built are set to be taken out of the hands of local communities if new government proposals are accepted.

In a little-publicised consultation by the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) that closes this month the suggestion is made that local debate on the siting of new nuclear power stations should be restricted to enable planning applications to be processed more quickly. In the future it is proposed that decisions about the location of the controversial plants should be taken by Central Government and that the primary role of local planning authorities should simply be to manage the effects of the Government's decisions.

Concerns have been raised locally by the Liberal Democrat party after it came to light that officers at Norfolk County Council had not been informed of the Government's latest proposals.

Liberal Democrat councillor, Peter Moore, who brought the consultation to the attention of staff at the County Council said:

"Having made enquiries about this matter within the Planning and Transportation department, I was extremely concerned to note that the department was unaware of this consultation and would not, therefore, be able to make any official response before the deadline. Alarm bells started ringing even more loudly when I discovered that a number of other local authorities had not heard anything about this either. Given the significance of the changes proposed I am amazed that the DTI has carried out such a low-key consultation. I would have expected every local planning authority to have been consulted automatically."

Cllr Moore has now passed his concerns on to the Liberal Democrat party headquarters and they are expected to ask questions about the quality of the DTI's consultation nationally next week.

Notes for the editor:

1. This press release has been sent to you by the Norfolk County Council Liberal Democrat group. The Liberal Democrats are the second opposition party at Norfolk County Council, which is led by a Conservative administration.

2. The DTI's consultation document can be found at the following web address:

http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file31931.pdf