CONCERNS from community groups over the danger of nuclear power should be given more weight in discussions about new power stations, according to a campaign group.

Professor Andy Blowers, chairman of Bradwell Against New Nuclear Group (Banng), wants local groups to have an active input in the planning of new nuclear power stations, such as Bradwell, because of their knowledge and public support.

Following a meeting, with Sir Michael Pitt as chairman of the infrastructure planning commission (IPC) and the leaders of other campaign groups, he explained that local community groups are only being treated as interested parties.

He said, in the latest Banng newsletter, they needed to be taken more seriously than that because it is not clear that councils and official bodies “have grasped the extreme difficulties of emergency planning in the face of a major release of radioactivity”.

He added: “It is not clear that the IPC have yet recognised the important role of groups such as ours in raising issues and consciousness about the dangers for present and future generations should a mega reactor and spent fuel store ever be seriously considered on a site as vulnerable as Bradwell.

“In the coming weeks Banng will be pressing the IPC to ensure that local groups are accorded the prominent role in the planning process that their knowledge and public support justifies.”