On 13th October the following email was sent to Millom Town Council:
TO: Millom Town Council
In light of the results of the random base-line survey of local people disclosed at the meeting of South Copeland GDF Community Partnership last night, i.e.
- 61% against the GDF being sited here (of whom many were strongly opposed)
- 27% in favour
- Reasons given why against: safety and security; environment; transportation; infrastructure
- Wanting more independent information from experts on: safety; environment; waste transportation; economic impact; impact on future generations
- 44% said they wanted the information from the Council and they wanted to know what the views of the Council are regarding the GDF for or against
As well as the strong questioning and opposition by the CALC rep, Millom Without and Whicham councillor reps regarding several, significant, aspects of the process so far with implications that the developers were not listening to their concerns.
It is clear that the majority of constituents in Millom and Haverigg are opposed to the GDF being sited here.
Will Millom Town Council come off the fence and tell its constituents whether they, as a Council, are in favour of or against the GDF being sited here?
Will Millom Town Council put forward a motion to the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership to withdraw Millom, Haverigg and Kirksanton from the search area for a GDF?
Or, at the very least, hear what the constituents are saying in the survey and seek independent advice from experts to discuss the issues raised in the survey and share this with the constituents?
Thank you.
Here is their response, dated 27th October 2022:
Dear Ms Bridget
South Copeland GDF Partnership
Thank you for your email dated 13th October which was brought to Millom Town Councillor’s attention at the meeting last night.
In answer to your questions, Millom Town Council (MTC) will, for the foreseeable future, continue with its neutral stance on the possible siting of a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) off the coast of South Copeland as ultimately should a suitable site be identified, the community will make the final decision.
We will also not be withdrawing from the South Copeland GDF Community Partnership as this is a major infrastructure project that aims to protect people and the environment for generations to come. Withdrawing from the partnership serves no purpose, as the process does not require MTC to be around the table to continue. It is our collective responsibility as a council to ensure that process is transparent, open and robust to ensure our community has all the information required to make an informed decision should the process develop to that stage.
As a Council, we will continue to monitor the views of the community and ensure that they are fed into the discussions of this process over the coming years as more information becomes available.