Nuclear storage consultation finishes

A public consultation into a proposed underground nuclear storage site in west Cumbria has ended.

More than 700 written responses have been received about plans to create the facility. A further three thousand were gathered by a telephone opinion poll.

County councillor Tim Knowles who chairs the group looking into the plans today said he was disappointed more people hadn't put forward their views.

He said: "I think part of the issue is that it is quite a general question and people tend to respond more directly if it involves a known location.

"We analyse all the responses, the opinion survey, the major opinion survey which is still going on, and all the various bits of information in order to come to a conclusion and write a report, which then will go the local authorities, who will make the decision on whether or not to move forward with this process."

Campaigners against the plans say it would damage the local area.

Ruth Balogh , from Save Our Lake District, Don't Dump Cumbria said: ‘’This will affect the whole of West Cumbria, not just the site of the dump.

"Existing roads and railways would be inadequate to take the shipments of highly radioactive wastes that would take place over many decades.

"Added to this would be many truckloads of rock spoil that initially would be moving through the county on a daily basis for some years, and continuing into the next century."

The three west Cumbrian councils of Allerdale, Copeland and Cumbria County Council will vote later this year whether the area shoudl continue to the next stage of the process and look for a site.