Lancaster’s Green Party criticises council leader over letter to support extension of Heysham nuclear power station

Lancaster’s parliamentary candidate for the Green Party has criticised a decision by the Labour Leader of Lancaster City Council for using their position to support the extension of the life of Heysham nuclear power station.

 

On 18 January, Cllr Phillip Black, the Labour Party Leader of Lancaster City Council, wrote a letter to the district’s two MPs and the Government supporting a bid by the energy company EDF to further extend the lives of both Heysham 1 & 2. Cllr Black cited the substantial contribution Lancaster City Council currently receives in business rates from the power stations.

 

However, Cllr Jack Lenox has branded the letter “reckless”. Cllr Lenox said: “Both of these power stations are now operating significantly beyond their original life expectancy. Any decision to extend their lives yet again is a safety critical, technical matter that must not be subject to political influence.

 

“I’m every bit as concerned as Cllr Black about the financial situation of Lancaster City Council and many local councils around the country due to underfunding by central government. However, it is completely inappropriate for Cllr Black to suggest that pressure on our budget should be a factor in extending the lives of these nuclear power stations.

 

“This is a decision for the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). The ONR should not have external influences exert pressure on it. It must consider this matter based only on the crucial perspectives of safety and technical feasibility.”

 

Cllr Lenox shared his frustration with Cllr Black’s response to his question at a meeting of the council on Wednesday 24 January, saying: “Despite what looked like a planned and leading question from a Labour councillor praising the decision to support the extension of Heysham 1 & 2, the leader’s report didn’t include mention of it. I asked him why this was, and in what capacity he had written the letter, given he hadn’t consulted his largest coalition partner – the Greens. His answer was both that it was on behalf of himself, but also on behalf of the council because constitutionally he is the council’s principal spokesperson.”

 

Cllr Lenox also criticised the leader for operating outside the terms of a collaboration agreement that currently forms the basis of a Labour/Green Party/Liberal Democrat coalition which runs Lancaster City Council. He was backed in this by Cllr Caroline Jackson, former Green Leader of the council and current Deputy Leader, who said: “The key underpinning principle of the cross-party collaboration agreement was that the Cabinet would be taking collective responsibility. In this case, far from consulting with Cabinet, the Leader did not even ensure Green and Liberal Democrat leaders had seen a draft of his email.”