Council Debate Goes Nuclear About ‘Back of a Fag Packet’ Dungeness Motion

Temperatures ran high at a full council meeting on Wednesday 24 when a proposed motion about the decision to not consider Dungeness as a possible site for a new nuclear power station was discussed.

At one point Chairperson Councillor Susan Carey had to stand to force Councillor Lynne Beaumont (Lib Dem) to sit down after she had suggested Cllr Alan Clifton-Holt (Cons) ‘get his ears checked’ following a misunderstanding.

The motion, raised by the Conservative group, proposed that the council ‘greets with incredulity the decision by the Labour Government to exclude Dungeness from the short list of ten sites considered suitable for the construction of new nuclear power stations.’

Branding the Government ‘negligent,’ the motion highlighted the possible effect of job losses and the impact on Kent’s ability to fulfil demand for electricity and called for lobbying and publicity of the Council’s objection to the decision.

Split into 5 parts, the motion called for

• A letter from the Chief Executive to the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change to express in the strongest possible terms the Council’s objection.
• The Chief Executive to demand a rationale for the decision in any reply to the letter, with a ‘detailed summary of the strategies and plans that the Government has in place to provide alternative employment.’
• To publicise the Council’s objections.
• All PPCs to ‘lobby the Government relentlessly.’
• Refer the issue to the Community Overview Committee ‘with a view to the committee being placed in a position to reinforce the power station’s arguments for the retention and expansion of Dungeness.

The Liberal Democrat group consistently spoke against the motion, at one point claiming it read like it had been hastily written 'on the back of a fag packet'. Cllr Peter Carroll (Lib Dem) said the motion concentrated on the economic impact and did not ‘give the issue the respect it deserves,’ and allowing the development risked an accident and ‘destroying the Marsh forever.’

Cllr Valerie Loseby (Lib Dem) criticised the Conservative dominated council, saying ‘you shouldn’t rely on the Government to provide alternatives. That is the responsibility of the Council.’

Cllr Lynne Beamont (Lib Dem) was the most forthright in her criticism. Commenting that the motion was ‘badly worded’ and ‘crassly stupid,’ she attacked the Conservative administration for voting in the special reserve areas now hampering the application.

Speaking longer than her allotted 5 minutes, with some barracking in the chamber, Cllr Beaumont was asked at one point to address the council through the chair as her style and ‘jabbing fingers’ were contributing to a breakdown of order in the debate.

Cllr Neil Matthews (Lib Dem) also criticised the ‘flippant’ nature of the motion, saying it was strewn with inaccuracies. The proposed letter from the Chief Executive should go to two Secretaries of State, the council was already publicising its displeasure, that the motion was cheap political point scoring and that the motion was pre-empting the decision of the Community Overview Committee.

All Liberal Democrat speakers were concerned about waste disposal and health risks. Cllr Lynne Beaumont claimed that ‘high-level waste’ was held on the site, a view challenged by almost all other councillors.

In heated exchanges, Conservative councillors hit back at these claims.

Cllr Richard Pascoe (Cons), recalling his time as a fire fighter, rubbished security concerns saying ‘Transport [of waste] is one of the safest methods ever designed.’ Cllrs Malcom Dearden and David Monk (Cons) highlighted the need for employment on the Marsh, which has some of the worst school exam results in the county.

Disagreeing with Cllr Beaumont over the position of the site, Cllr William Richardson (Cons) claimed the site would be within the existing nuclear power station fence and that the ‘whole area is concrete anyway.’

Taking issue with Liberal Democrat Tim Prater’s vision for the Marsh, Cllr Russel Tilson (Cons) accused Cllr Prater of living in ‘cloud cuckoo land,’ and ‘a fantasy world of cyclepaths, B&Bs on stilts and water lifts.’ Cllr Tilson also noted Cllr Prater had written that ‘Dungeness has a long and proud association with the safe generation of nuclear power,’ which roused laughter around the chamber.

Cllr Paul Marsh (People First) suggested splitting the motion into its constituent parts for voting, which did not pass.

The motion passed with Conservatives voting in favour, with Cllr Brian Copping (People First). The majority of Liberal Democrats voted against, with Cllr Matthews and Cllr Marsh abstaining.