ENERGY bosses have formally announced that land at Bradwell is likely to be put forward as suitable for a new nuclear power station.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) confirmed it expects to nominate land it owns at four locations - Bradwell, Sellafield in Cumbria, Oldbury in Gloucestershire and Wylfa in Anglesey - for consideration in the Government’s search for potential N-plant sites.

The NDA said it was working together on a proposal for a new plant with British Energy, which also owns land next to the defunct Bradwell Power Station and has been holding public consultations to gauge views on building a replacement.

Acting NDA chief executive Richard Waite said putting its landholdings in the frame would help “secure value from our assets for the benefit of the taxpayer”.

During a visit to Sellafield on Friday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed news of the nominations, saying: "Nuclear is crucial to our low carbon future. It is crucial to our energy security and at the same time it represents a massive opportunity for the UK economy."

But protestors warned ministers were ignoring local views and were making a mistake by going down the nuclear route.

Prof Andy Blowers, who has a house in West Mersea and has served on the national Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMAC), said nuclear was “old-hat” technology.

“Nuclear power can’t conceivably be the answer to climate change,” he said. “Even if there was the money to build all these plants, they would not be finished before 2020 at the earliest.

“We should concentrate on reducing energy consumption and developing renewable energy sources that don’t carry with them the long-term dangers.”

Local resident Ian Clarke said a poll had shown the overwhelming majority of residents in the Bradwell area wanted the NDA-owned land to return to agricultural use.

“This seems to indicate that they are completely ignoring those findings,” he said.