Sizewell C Stage 3 Consultation submission by East Suffolk Liberal Democrats

East Suffolk Lib Dems publish their response to the 3rd stage of the Sizewell C Consultation

Suffolk Coastal Liberal Democrats - now East Suffolk Liberal Democrats (ESLD) - made a submission to the Stage 2 of the Sizewell C Consultation in 2017. At that time, they did will not comment on the need for a new nuclear power station at Sizewell, limiting comments to the proposals made by EDF Energy in its consultation document, in case consent for Sizewell C is granted.

The local Party now state:

While recognising that the decision to proceed is a matter for the Secretary of State, the local Party feel that it is appropriate, now having considered the balance between any likely overall economic benefit from the build and operation set against the environmental, social and local economic impacts to make clear our broad objection to the proposal to build a new nuclear power station at Sizewell.

Furthermore the energy market is changing fast with the high probability that a new nuclear power station at Sizewell be a 'white elephant' by the time its built.

The local party considers that if Sizewell C is built:

• transport should be maritime/rail led
• road transport must be via a new D2 relief road
• accommodation strategy cannot be based on a huge campus - it must leave a positive legacy including housing on the region i.e. it must involve investment and close association with the implementation of the Local Plan
• Overall, much greater effort and resource must be devoted to mitigating the impacts of the build on the region and its people.

The local Party's submission goes on to say:

• Nuclear power is not "green" energy:

  - The construction of Sizewell C will require millions of tonnes of CO2 generating concrete and millions of HGV-traffic-miles; it cannot therefore "make a major contribution to the nation's low-carbon energy needs" as stated in the consultation paper; and the legacy of Sizewell C will be dangerous waste left for future generations to manage.

• The CO2 generated in the construction of a nuclear power plant contributes to global warming which is the cause of rising sea levels. Nuclear power stations need to be located by the sea, but are then vulnerable to sea levels rising as a consequence of global warming. We do not think that this concern has been fully considered at Sizewell where the risk of sea-level rise is compounded by an eroding coastline.

• The need for nuclear power in the electricity generating mix is diminishing as the generation of renewable power (wind, solar, etc) is increasing. Sizewell C is projected to take 10-12 years to construct by which time there may be no need for new nuclear generating capacity.

• The cost for nuclear power is increasing while the cost for renewable power generation is decreasing: already the strike price for electricity generated at Hinckley Point C is significantly higher than the strike price of renewable power - and the difference between the strike prices is likely to increase during the period of construction of Sizewell C. The cost of the power generated by Sizewell C will therefore be unnecessarily high and that cost will be borne by consumers.

• The new consultation document claims that EDF Energy aims to "...limit any adverse effects on the environment and on local communities...". This is simply not possible as the construction and operation of a new nuclear power station at Sizewell will have an extremely detrimental impact on the Suffolk's coastal area and its communities.

To download the full submission here

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