Council snub to government nuclear plans

• Cross-party coalition votes for Green anti-nuclear motion
• Labour vote split, with Mayor and deputy disagreeing
• Council backs London’s Labour mayor over Labour government
• Nuclear waste trains passing through Lewisham helps Green win

On 1st November 2006, Lewisham Council voiced its protest against government plans to build new nuclear power stations at the expense of clean, renewable energy. Labour and Liberal Democrats voted in favour of a Green Party motion, tabled by Green Ladywell councillor Sue Luxton, which endorsed the Mayor of London’s response to the government’s controversial pro-nuclear energy review.

Ken Livingstone had argued that the best way to reduce energy demand was to improve energy efficiency and develop local power generation as well as a huge increase in renewable energy.

The motion was carried with a majority of 20 (35 votes for, 15 against), splitting the Labour group and even dividing the mayor of Lewisham – who spoke in favour of new nuclear build – and his deputy, who voted with the Greens. A cohort of Labour councillors joined the deputy mayor in siding with the Green Party against the Labour government’s policy.

Some Labour councillors argued that debating nuclear power was not relevant to Lewisham, but the continuing risks posed by trains carrying nuclear waste through residential areas of Lewisham was a key factor in the arguments last night against building a new generation of nuclear plants.

Cllr Luxton also argued that there was a straight choice – more investment in nuclear meant there was less money available in Lewisham for developing decentralised and renewable power. Government cash for nuclear meant truly green energy could only be “tacked on”. She told the council chamber: “The combination of efficient supply through combined heat and power and energy-saving measures in homes and businesses could slash London’s annual energy requirements – even with new growth – by 23% by 2025. That is the equivalent of three nuclear power stations.

“To implement decentralised energy across London by 2025, the London Climate Change Agency would need funding of about £300m to 400m per year – or a total of between £3bn and £4.4bn. This sounds expensive, but it is cheap compared to nuclear power: the last time a nuclear power station was built in the UK – Sizewell B – it cost £3bn.” She pointed out that centralised energy generation is a major contributor to rising emissions because two thirds of energy input is wasted through heat loss and transmission as it is channelled through the national grid. She added: “Decentralised energy would capture and use locally the heat produced through electricity generation and would minimise the power lost through transmission.”

ENDS - - - - - - - - - -

Notes to editor: The full text of the motion adopted by council read: This council agrees with the Mayor of London’s reaction to the conclusions of the Energy Review (set out in The Energy Challenge published by the Department of Trade and Industry in July).

The Council specifically endorses the Mayor of London’s stance that investment in massively reducing energy demand through improving efficiency and decentralising generation, together with a major increase in renewable energy is the way forward for London rather than a new generation of nuclear power stations.”

The motion was proposed by Cllr Luxton and seconded by Green group leader Cllr Johnson.

The Mayor of London’s submission to the Energy Review can be read as a pdf file here: In it he argues that a 60% cut in CO2 emissions is possible by 2050 through decentralised energy and without nuclear power.