AWE Aldermaston - Laser Facility - Call for a Public Inquiry

As you may know, West Berkshire Council at their last planning meeting (23/11/05) deferred their consideration of the Ministry of Defence's Notice of Proposed Development (NoPD) for the "Replacement" laser facility (ref. 05/02003/RESMAJ), because the committee had not all seen a Strategic Sustainability Appraisal and Site Development Context Plan submitted by AWE Aldermaston (this plan appears to be their response to a request for an Environmental Impact Assessment, which they still have not done.

The decision was also deferred because of the strength of the objections sent in, and voiced at the meeting by several groups and individuals, the large number of objectors at the meeting, and the consistent work throughout 2005 in presenting objections to the planning committee. They are due to consider the NoPD again on 26 January 2006.

We now have a real opportunity to stop this application - and with it the building at AWE Aldermaston of facilities to build the next generation of nuclear weapons.

It has become clear, including to West Berkshire Council, that the developments at AWE Aldermaston are more than a local matter, and that's why we want you to write to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and ask him to call in the laser application, and establish a public inquiry. He is not obliged to do this, but if we send enough letters then there is a good chance. A public inquiry would stop the developments for now, and probably take at least two years, which would give us more time to build a real opposition to any replacement for the Trident weapons system.

We have been successful in getting this far. AWE imagined their plans would go through without any problems, and from the number of portakabins they moved onto the site last week, they obviously still think they can pull the wool over everyone's eyes.

A detailed letter can be downloaded here. It is useful at this stage to use the appropriate grounds set out in planning legislation and guidelines rather than make objections on political, legal or moral grounds. Please just cut and paste it, print off and sign a and send it to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as soon as possible - and then send this email to a friend and ask them to do the same. Copies should also be sent to Rt Hon John Reid MP
Secretary of State for Defence
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA

[Please note, according to the ODPM web-site: " ... we do not respond individually to large volumes of identical correspondence. However, we do keep a record of the volumes received and we make sure this information is passed to the relevant officials."]

NOTE: If Prescott or Reid is your local MP, you could always drop them a line via writetothem.com

We have a chance to stop AWE. We know this is a busy time of year, whether you are planning on enjoying or avoiding Christmas; if you can't do it before, make it you first new year's resolution.

This may be our best chance yet to stop the development of the next generation of nuclear weapons at Aldermaston.