View on the ground

Bradwell

Bradwell was one of the eleven sites, included on the Government’s list published on 15th April 2009, that could potentially host a new nuclear station.

Bradwell was also included on the final list of ten nominated sites which was issued on 9th November 2009 (It was proposed to drop Dungeness from the list). This was part of a consultation on Draft National Policy Statements (NPSs) on Energy Infrastructure. The draft Nuclear NPS included a site assessment for Bradwell. The consultation closed on 22nd February 2010. The Government says it is now considering the consultation responses and will publish a formal response document later in 2010 together with the final National Policy Statements. Under the new Planning Act the finalised Nuclear NPS will establish the ‘need’ for new reactors, so the subsequent planning process will only deal with site specific issues.

Bradwell is the site of two closed Magnox reactors owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA).  These reactors are being decommissioning by Magnox South Ltd. on behalf of the NDA, which is a company owned by Energy Solutions. 

Unusually British Energy,  which is now part of EDF Energy, already owned land in the vicinity of Bradwell. EDF Energy also acquired land in the NDA auction of three sites held in early 2009. The Company said it would sell the land it now owns at Bradwell, if it makes progress in the development of nuclear plants at its two preferred sites – Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk. In fact, in November 2009 EDF announced it was looking for a buyer.

British Energy  held seven public meetings during November 2008 in and around Bradwell to discuss the potential for new nuclear build at the site. The meetings provided updates on the company’s plans and a presentation from Royal Haskoning, an environmental consulting firm carrying out impact assessments for British Energy’s potential new build projects.

Bradwell is on the south-side of the River Blackwater estuary opposite Mersea Island. The Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group have expressed concern that the site could be big enough for three new reactors. The chances of evacuating Mersea Island, which is only around 2 miles just across the Blackwater estuary from the Bradwell site, also gives cause for concern. The road leading off Mersea Island to the mainland, floods twice a day at the highest tides in Spring and Autumn, sometimes for as much as two hours. Mersea Island has a large additional summer population of perhaps 5,000 tourists, many of whom would be at caravan and camp sites, without the shelter of permanent accommodation. This would further compound the difficulty of implementing an evacuation plan.

Middlesex University Flood Hazard Research Centre looked at the effect of expected sea level rises and increases in storm surge over the next 200 years at Bradwell and concluded the site appears to be under significant threat. Defending the site is "likely to become economically unsustainable". It cannot be considered a suitable location for a new reactor.
 
Andrew Blowers - Professor of Social Sciences at the Open University; former member of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management; a member of Nuclear Waste Advisory Associates and Chair of Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group (BANNG) argues that Bradwell is not a suitable site for a new nuclear power station.

Local group: Blackwater Against New Nuclear Group
 

Last Updated 1 June 2010

This section of the website has been developed thanks to funding from Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.