Council asked to reject nuclear power options as the 'ultimate stealth tax.'

2.18.09pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 20th Jun 2006

Lib Dem Councillor Alun Griffiths ( Idle and Thackley ) is asking the Council to reject any future plans for new nuclear power stations in favour of investing in energy saving and reduction in demand. On Tuesday, he will ask the Council to back a non-nuclear option and commit to campaigning to prevent the building of new nuclear power stations.

He said

" Climate change is the greatest threat facing the planet. The government set up an energy review which is due to report in July but the prime minister has jumped the gun by announcing that he favours new nuclear power stations.

We fear that having made its mind up the Government will have to try to hide the true cost of nuclear energy either by huge subsidies paid for by the tax payer or rigging the energy market. This will become the ultimate stealth tax.

Every one of us is already paying £1,500 to clean up the nuclear waste of the past 50 years and that bill keeps on going up.

Evidence from abroad shows that nuclear power is not competitive. The US has had to offer subsidies of $14 billion to investors and the new power station being built in Finland is propped up by export guarantees, a 30 year contract and government guarantees over decommissioning and waste disposal.

We want the Council to back an alternative based on renewables, micro-generation, energy efficiency and clean coal technology.

We need to send a message to the government that Bradford does not want nuclear power and that we have an alternative which works.