On the 21st of February 2024 the East Riding of Yorkshire Council overwhelmingly supported a motion tabled by South Holderness councillors seeking withdrawal from the process of siting a Nuclear Waste Dump in South Holderness. Nuclear Waste Services has now confirmed that they will begin the process of winding up the Working Group.
Shortly after the motion was published, Graham Stuart MP, Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, expressed his support. He said, "South Holderness is a special place and the news that the area was being considered as the site for the UK's GDF shocked many in our community."
" It is the people of South Holderness who should determine what happens in their area and they have made clear their opposition to these plans."
Contrast Soth Holderness with East Lindsey. Where South Holderness reacted quickly to the will of the people, East Lindsey has adopted the attitude that the people are not intelligent or informed enough to know what it is that they want. They have been given the results from a parish survey from Theddlethorpe which showed that 85% of those who responded were vehemently opposed to the plans The council ignored it. In the 2023 District and parish council elections, anti-nuclear dump candidates swept the board overturning massive majorities. The ELDC leadership refused to acknowledge the significance of this.
When Independent Councillor Travis Hesketh and Green Councillor Robert Wason tried to force a referendum the council leadership refused to allow a vote claiming it would be unlawful. When the motion was reduced to calling for a consultation exercise the largest party (Conservative) were whipped to vote against the motion which was defeated by two votes. They claim that after two and a half years, the people are not well enough informed to make a decision. ERYC considered the people well enough informed after one month.
In South Holderness it would seem that the council recognises that they are the servants of the people. In East Lindsey it would seem that the council sees themselves as masters of the people.
We also have to look at the actions of the parliamentary representatives.. The South Holderness MP got involved from the outset, First calling for a referendum and then,, once he realised the strength of the opposition, threw his weight behind the motion to withdraw.
Contrast that with the actions of Victoria Atkins MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and MP for Louth and Horncastle which includes the search Area. When the news broke she claimed she had "not been directly informed." Since then the only statement she has issued is that she "can't see any benefit to the area."
Despite many letters from constituents she has consistently refused to get involved.
As health secretary, she must surely be aware of the damage to the mental health of her constituents caused by having this project hanging over them for so long.
East Lincolnshire has been failed by all of those in authority from District Council to County Council to Parliament, they have all let down their people.