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The National Trust for Ireland has mounted a legal challenge to the UK government consent for a new nuclear power plant at Hinkley Point.
The NGO is arguing that energy secretary Ed Davey’s decision was unlawful because the Irish people were not consulted on the proposals.
Hinkley Point, in Somerset, is closer to the coast of Ireland than it is to Leeds, the campaigners note. They point to Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, which consulted neighbouring countries on plans to develop nuclear power.
Spokesman James Nix said: “This case is not about interfering with the right of the UK authorities to make their own decisions, nor about being pro or anti nuclear. It is about ensuring that the rights and interests of the Irish public and their concern for their environment are not excluded from those decisions, and that the Irish public is properly consulted in accordance with the law on a project of this nature.
“Ireland’s agriculture, food, fishing and tourism – which are our essential indigenous industries – are critically dependent on the quality of our environment, as is the health of our people. This is therefore a matter of considerable importance and concern for Irish people, and for our interest in our environment.”
If successful, the legal challenge could have implications for proposals for future new nuclear projects, such as Wylfa B in Anglesey.
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