nuclear-news

Campaigners tell Government to drop Bradwell nuclear site

27th April, By Sophie England, AI Champion for the South East, https://www.maldonandburnhamstandard.co.uk/news/25110689.campaigners-tell-government-drop-bradwell-nuclear-site/

A campaign group has told the Government to “drop the Bradwell site” for the development of nuclear energy.

The Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (BANNG) has urged the Government to end all interest in the Bradwell site for future nuclear power station development.

In their response to the Government’s National Policy Statement for Nuclear Energy, BANNG stated: “In the specific case of Bradwell, the site should be removed from further consideration on the grounds that it is unsuitable and unacceptable.”

The Bradwell site was considered “potentially suitable” for nuclear power by Chinese company CGN from 2015.

However, a pre-application for development in 2020 was met with strong opposition from the Blackwater communities and councils.

This led to CGN pausing its investigations and leaving the site.

It has now been confirmed by the Government and industry that they no longer expect planning applications to be submitted.

BANNG claims this confirms the end of the CGN Bradwell project.

Despite this, the site is still considered to have potential for energy transmission and nuclear infrastructure.

However, BANNG argues that the site does not have widespread public support, with “overwhelming opposition from local councils, stakeholders, community groups led by BANNG over many years”.

BANNG also points out the site’s vulnerability due to its exposed and low-lying coastal location.

They argue that this makes it susceptible to “accidental or malevolent interference and to the increasing impacts of climate change, sea level rise, inundation and storm surges capable of ultimately overwhelming the power station and its long-term highly active waste stores.”

BANNG also criticises the idea of using the site for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), stating that these are “not small and do not yet exist”.

In their consultation response, BANNG urges the Government “to provide a more balanced, less hysterical, account of the virtues and failings of nuclear energy”.

April 28, 2025 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | opposition to nuclear, UK