Matthew Riddles submission to DECC about NPS

Oak Farm, Oldbury Lane, Nr Thornbury

South Gloucestershire BS35 1RD

20^th January 2011

Dear Sir / Madam

I write to object to the inclusion of Oldbury as a site for a new nuclear power station for the following reasons:

1.   Impact on landscape - the Severn Vale falls between two areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty  - the Wye Valley and The Cotswold Hills, in a flat river vale and therefore the impact of the buildings would be great – four times the foot print of the current power station.

2.   It is the only site that needs cooling towers. These towers, whether they are 200 or 70 metres tall, in themselves will cause harm to the landscape and, in addition, they will require energy from the power station turbines for them to actually work.

3.   It is in a high flood risk area. This greatly limits all other development in this area, yet a long term national asset, which will need to last hundreds of years is been proposed.

‘The Bristol Channel floods, which occurred on 30 January 1607, resulted in the drowning of a large number of people and the destruction of a large amount of farmland and livestock. Recent research has suggested that the cause may have been a tsunami.’ (From Wikipedia)

Contemporary depiction of the 1607 flood (the church is thought to be Nash, near Newport)

 (It is common knowledge locally that this wave in 1607 washed away large areas of wharf land and soil where the current power station is sited.)

4.   I share local peoples’ concern of having highly radioactive material stored on site, so close to a large population.

5.   It does not have the support of South Gloucestershire Council, the local top tier authority. It is one of the very few sites not to have gained the endorsement of its local council.

Yours Faithfully

Cllr Matthew Riddle

South Gloucestershire Councillor for the Severn Ward