Dungeness may be put back on the Government’s list of new nuclear sites after a campaign by new Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins.

The site was taken off a list of areas where new power stations might be built by former energy secretary Ed Miliband in November, prompting anger from Shepway District Council which argued the need for local jobs.

But after a speech by Conservative Mr Collins in the House of Commons this week, energy minister Charles Hendry said the decision would be reconsidered.

The coalition Government is set to redraft the entire list, which currently names 10 sites across the UK.

There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness, owned by French firm EDF. Dungeness A is being decommissioned while Dungeness B is due to run until 2018.

If commissioned, a new Dungeness C station could be operational by 2020.
Mr Collins said the decision to remove Dungeness from the list had been taken because of an EU directive protecting the area’s wildlife.

The power station is on the world’s second-largest shingle peninsula - the largest is at Cape Canaveral in Florida - and is home to rare wildlife.

But only one per cent of the protected area would be affected if a new station was built, Mr Collins argued.

The MP said: “I obviously want Dungeness back on the list of sites, maybe with caveats at the planning stage that a very detailed plan for managing the local environment must be part of the consideration for how that power station could be built.”

Mr Hendry said both sides of the argument would be considered before putting Dungeness back on the list.

“We will certainly take account of the representations made by Dungeness to be included in the list,” he said.

“But we will also give similar weight to the representations from community groups in areas concerned about new build.”