A three-dimensional image of the proposed Romney Marsh underground nuclear waste centre

by political editor Paul Francis

Kent County Council has vowed to oppose controversial plans for a nuclear waste site - and says it could hold a county-wide referendum on the scheme.

County councillors have backed a report that says the proposal, which
Shepway council is canvassing public opinion on, "must be resisted in
the strongest possible way."

The report has been discussed by councillors and drew cross-party support.

However, KCC has also faced complaints from the leader of Shepway council, Cllr Robert Bliss, that it was emotive and inaccurate.

"kent should be proud to the doorstep to europe; it does not have to be the doormat to a dump…” – cllr tim prater

KCC leader Paul Carter told councillors he disagreed, insisting the authority's report was "measured" and KCC was right to voice its opposition.

"It is enormously detrimental to the inward investment opportunities for east Kent even having this conversation with the people of Shepway.

"Talk of a nuclear waste dump genuinely blights the area and stigmatises the opportunities of getting people to invest in the area. We do not want Kent to be the receptacle for all waste from every nuclear plant," he told a full council meeting.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Tim Prater, who represents the area, said: "This
will blight a massive area for months and years to come.

"It means months and years of uncertainty and months and years of testing right across the marsh to identify a site that could be anywhere. Would anyone consider buying a house where someone was putting a nuclear dump?

"Kent should be proud to the doorstep to Europe; it does not have to be the
doormat to a dump."

Romney Marsh county councillor Carole Waters said it was not
inconsistent to support the retention of Dungeness power station at the
same time as opposing the waste site.

"Dungeness is tried and tested. This dump is totally untried and untested; there is only going to be one nationally and nobody really wants it.

"That is why the government is asking Shepway for an expression of interest and is dangling the carrot of lots of benefits."

Shepway council's consultation on whether to submit a formal of expression of interest has now ended but it is not known when it will decide whether to go ahead.