nuclear-news

Localism loses out in High Court decision, PS Public Service.co UK 03 November 2011 Campaigners from the village of Kings Cliffe near Peterborough have lost their High Court battle to overturn a decision by Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles to let radioactive waste be dumped at the nearby East Northants Resource Management Facility.

The case was seen as an example of how the government may speak of encouraging localism in one breath but in the next force communities to accept decisions that they have opposed through democratic means.

The Kings Cliffe Wastewatchers had protested at Pickles overturning local planning decisions on the low-level waste, allowing it to be dumped between now and August 2013. There were also fears that the waste disposal company Augean could go ahead with its plans to expand the site’s operation for hazardous and nuclear wastes until 2026.

Before the verdict, spokesperson Louise Bowen-West said: “We feel the [Pickles] decision is unlawful and must be stopped in order to set a precedent. I get the impression that the government thinks that because we’re a tiny community they can stamp all over us. But we plan to fight this all the way. Whatever the verdict in the case we will battle on to make sure this is stopped.”

The campaigners’ defence lawyer had said this was a “classic case of the developer obtaining, through this permission, a foot in the door for the extended landfill”. He added that the Pickles decision was unlawful and should be overturned.