Welcome to the eighth issue of the Theddlethorpe GDF Working Group Newsletter
When it was established last October, the Theddlethorpe Working Group was asked to complete three main tasks and specifically,
- to share information and to start a conversation about what it would mean to have a GDF sited in the area,
- to identify a Search Area within which work to identify a suitable site will be focused,
- and to set up a Community Partnership to oversee both the continuing community conversation and the site investigation and development process.
In fulfilling the first task we have listened to the views of hundreds of local people about the proposal to investigate building a GDF in the area. We have held community events at a variety of venues, attended community group meetings, established a web presence, and answered many written queries and concerns.
We have also been active on social media, through television, radio and newspapers and distributed information leaflets locally, all of which has been designed to inform and encourage debate around the potential development of a GDF in the area.
We fulfilled the second task through a workshop held in January with stakeholders, to identify the Search Area in which future activity and investigations should focus. And following an examination of the facts and subsequent debate it was agreed that the Search Area should comprise the two District Council electoral wards of Withern & Theddlethorpe, and Mablethorpe.
Finally, we are in the process of fulfilling the third task, having discussed, and then agreed a structure for the new Community Partnership, briefed stakeholders and subsequently advertised for volunteers to get involved. Applications are being invited and we plan to hold interviews for those interested by the end of this month. We hope to formally bring to an end the activities of the Theddlethorpe GDF Working Group and establish the Community Partnership within the coming weeks.
Although the formal Partnership will have up to fifteen members drawn equally from local councils, local voluntary organisations and local businesses, sector stakeholder forums will also be established to encourage wider public involvement and debate.
So, as we move from Working Group to Community Partnership, now is the chance to get involved whatever currently your views and opinions might be. This is an exciting new phase of work, likely to stretch over a number of years, where all aspects of the proposal to develop a GDF in the area can be examined, explored, discussed, and debated.
During that time, the community will benefit every year from £1m Community Investment Funding, rising to £2.5m a year if work proceeds to ground investigation and borehole drilling. And of course, at the end of all that it will be for local people through a meaningful test of public support, to decide if this project is right for Mablethorpe and Theddlethorpe. Not local councils, not the government, nor the people working on the project, but just local people.
The job of the Community Partnership will be to make sure that’s a decision based on the evidence and involving everyone who lives in the area. So, if you want to help make sure that happens, now is the time and here is the chance for you to volunteer.
Best wishes,
Jon Collins – Independent chair of the Working Group
Recruiting new members for the Community Partnership
The Working Group has taken the decision to form a Community Partnership and move to the next stage of the GDF siting process. Preparations are now taking place and we have started recruiting new members to the Community Partnership as well as stakeholder groups which will be set up to focus on key topics, relevant to the local area.
The Partnership will be a larger group of local people and organisations that will take over from the Working Group to consider the possibilities of the area hosting a GDF in more detail. This will run in parallel to work carried out by the GDF developer, Nuclear Waste Services, to better understand the suitability of the local geology and infrastructure.
Up to fifteen members will be drawn equally from local councils, local voluntary organisations and local businesses, and in addition to this stakeholder forums will be established in each sector.
These forums will expand local engagement and allow more people to be involved, to find out more about geological disposal and discuss topics, and feed into the work of the main Partnership.
Anyone interested in applying to become a member of the Community Partnership or one of the stakeholder forums can find out more information on our website, where an application pack is available.
https://theddlethorpe.workinginpartnership.org.uk/join-us/
The first round of interviews will take place before the end of this month. We expect to be able to provide further information on the Partnership within the coming weeks and will share this information with you when it is available.
Do you have questions about geological disposal? We are here to answer them at a place near you.
In the last issue we reviewed the events that took place earlier this year and we are pleased to say that we are going to be out in the area talking to people again very soon.
We will be continuing those conversations and encouraging people who wish to be more involved in the work of the GDF project, to join either the Community Partnership or the stakeholder forums.
We are bringing a minibus full of information to places in the Search Area, providing people with the opportunity to find out more about a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) and what it could mean for the community.
Our engagement team will be available to chat to anyone that wants to, and they will be supported by specialists from NWS, who are able to answer questions on topics such as geology, siting and engineering.
The 16-seater bus will be travelling round and stopping at venues throughout the week, so please come along and meet us. This is another opportunity to ask questions and find out more about geological disposal and add your voice to the discussions.
Find out when and where our GDF bus tour will be coming to where you live – dates and times provided here.
Monday 27 June
10am – 2pm Mablethorpe Library, LN12 1DP
4pm – 8pm Trusthorpe Village Hall, LN12 2GN
Tuesday 28 June
10am – 2pm Theddlethorpe Village Hall, LN12 1PA
4pm – 8pm Mablethorpe Athletic Football Club, LN12 1HU
Wednesday 29 June
10am – 2.30pm Waggon and Horses campsite, South Reston, LN11 8JQ
4pm – 8pm Gayton le Marsh Village Hall, LN13 0NW
Thursday 30 June
10am – 11.30am Beesby, LN13 0JQ
12pm – 1.30pm Saleby, LN13 0JA
2pm – 3.30pm Strubby, LN13 0NR
4pm – 8pm Maltby le Marsh Village Hall, LN13 0JP
Friday 1 July
11.30am – 3.30pm Mablethorpe Community Hall, LN12 1DP
4pm – 8pm Mablethorpe Station Sports Centre, LN12 1HA
Your questions answered
We expect that people will have a lot of questions about the Community Partnership and the stakeholder forums, so here are a few that might help.
What is a Community Partnership?
A Community Partnership a larger, enduring group of people that would take over from the Working Group and consider the possibilities of local GDF siting in more detail, including further public engagement and creating a “Community Vision” for the long-term well-being of the community.
Formation of a Community Partnership would require the participation of Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) and at least one relevant Principal Local Authority. In the case of Theddlethorpe, both Lincolnshire County Council and East Lindsey District Council have agreed to be members of a Community Partnership.
Who will be the members of the Community Partnership?
The Working Group has now started the process of recruiting new members to the Community Partnership to reflect the views of the community as the process continues.
The initial membership of the Community Partnership will be drawn from three areas: local authorities; charity and voluntary, and business as well as stakeholder forums which will each focus on key topics, relevant to the local area. The GDF developer, Nuclear Waste Services (NWS), will also be a member of the Partnership.
Jon Collins, the current independent Chair of the Working Group will remain in post as Interim Chair of the Partnership, for a few months while the Community Partnership grows its membership and gets established.
Why should people get involved in the Partnership?
The GDF, wherever it is eventually built, is a multi-billion-pound infrastructure project of national importance. It cannot be built without a suitable site or a willing community, so it is important for people across the area to understand what a GDF could mean for the area, in order to be able to make informed decisions, to take the opportunity to have their say and to help shape a future vision for their area, regardless of whether a GDF is eventually built.
Are there any criteria for being a member?
Community Partnership members must have lived or worked within the Search Area – the two electoral wards of Withern & Theddlethorpe and Mablethorpe – for at least 12 months prior to formation of the Partnership.
Who decides the memberships of the Partnership?
The initial round of applicants will be interviewed by a panel drawn from the current Working Group members – the panel must include the Chair, the relevant principle local authorities and Nuclear Waste Services. The Partnership will need to evolve its own membership over time as discussions progress.
What is the deadline for applying?
The first round of applicants will be interviewed and appointed before the end of June. However, we expect the Partnership to evolve in the coming years and there to be more opportunities for people to get involved, so there is no deadline on recruiting new members at present.
You can find more questions and answers like these on our website.
Our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are there to help you learn more about the GDF.