By Victoria Brenan

Last updated at 14:48, Monday, 24 September 2012

A meeting of Copeland council takes place this week and the nuclear dump is at the top of the agenda.

The meeting, on Wednesday, will debate the final report from the West Cumbria Managing Radioactive Waste Safely Partnership, ahead of the crunch meeting on October 11 when the county council cabinet and district authorities will decide whether to progress with plans for an underground storage facility as big as Workington.

The meeting comes after former government science adviser Sir David King warned that Britain’s nuclear power programme would be put at “serious risk” if a suitable repository site cannot be found in Cumbria.

Sir David said: “It is logical, sensible and necessary for a search of west Cumbria’s geology to proceed. To abort the process now before we have all the facts to hand would be short-sighted.

“I implore all concerned parties not to second guess the science but to explore all the facts so we can make a clear decision based on the very best evidence – that’s all I ask. The search must go ahead.”

Doug Wilson, who represents Haverigg on the council, is in favour of the search.

He said: “My own view is that they should look at all the possible options in the county.

“I think they’ve got the expertise and willingness to be able to deal with the waste. The skills base is here. We’ve got to have somewhere to put this stuff and if we can find a suitable site in the county, that’s where it should be.”

First published at 11:24, Monday, 24 September 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk