View on the ground

Hartlepool

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

Hartlepool is the site of two Advanced Gas-cooled reactors owned by British Energy, which is now part of EDF Energy. British Energy held a public meeting on 11th March 2009 in the Grand Hotel, Hartlepool to discuss the prospects for a new nuclear station. It also gave a presentation was given to Hartlepool Borough Council on 3 June 2008 about potential new build near the Hartlepool site. Local campaigner, Geoff Lilley, explains here why he is against a new reactor at Hartlepool. 

Iris Ryder, Green Party mayoral candidate for Hartlepool and Eurocandidate in the 2009 elections, told the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette : “The Green Party and has long campaigned against nuclear power due to its high cost and the unsolved problems with radioactive waste and risks of radioactive discharges".

In 2004 Greenpeace published a report which showed that the offshore wind industry could create 76,000 jobs with 38,000 of them in North-East England.

Hartlepool Borough Council ran its own consultation exercise during the Government consultation on the Nuclear NPS at the beginning of 2010. 800 people responded to a questionnaire and a number of public meetings were held including a hugely successful Question Time-style event, with a panel of experts representing a cross section of views. The result, said Hartlepool’s Mayor, should leave no one in any doubt that Hartlepool, as a town, fully supports the development of new nuclear power stations and would wish to see one built here to replace the current station.
 
Last Updated 3rd June 2010
 

This section of the website has been developed thanks to funding from Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation, and the Andrew Wainwright Reform Trust.