WREXHAM Council looks set to say no to hosting a site to bury highly toxic nuclear waste within the county borough

The Welsh Government is currently looking for a willing community to store a large amount of waste which has been accummulated over the last 60 years from the UK’s main nuclear power stations.

Government officials say that geological disposal – where the waste is buried deep underground in solid rock – is seen as the safest method of disposing it.

However, they stressed that such a facility will only be built if an area wants to have it.

Wrexham’s local authority now looks set to rule itself out of the running.

In a report, council leader Mark Pritchard has recommended that executive board members should agree it will not support hosting a geological disposal facility (GDF).

He said: “The UK government has established a non-profit organisation, Radioactive Waste Management Ltd (RWM), to implement a safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable geological disposal programme.

“RWM has published guidance for communities in Wales who wish to know more about how to become a potential host community and more recently a consultation document on site evaluation.

“Although the consultation on site evaluation has now formally closed, interested parties are invited to engage with RWM to find out more about geological disposal and possibly explore what hosting a GDF might mean for their area and their community.

“The purpose of the report is to seek members’ views on the issues raised by the Welsh Government policy framework on the disposal of radioactive waste in Wales and whether Wrexham County Borough Council wishes to consider hosting a geological disposal facility within the county borough.

“The reason for the recommendation is to state clearly the council’s position in advance of any potential approach by a community seeking support from the council in considering the possibility of hosting a geological disposal facility within the county borough.”

Communities which enter discussions about potentially hosting a GDF would be eligible for funding of up to £1m a year.

That amount would increase to a maximum of £2.5 million a year if deep boreholes are drilled.

The project has been described as a multi-billion-pound infrastructure investment that would provide skilled jobs and benefits for more than 100 years.

The ruling independent and Conservative administration in Wrexham will discuss the issue on Tuesday, May 14.