Nuclear halt prompts call to scrap homes plan
THE decision to halt a multibillion-pound nuclear project has prompted calls for plans to build thousands of new homes to be scrapped.
On Wednesday Japanese giant Hitachi confirmed it was pulling the plug on Anglesey’s £12bn to £14bn Wylfa Newydd development, noting that the investment environment had become “increasingly severe” due to Covid-19’s impact.
But while local politicians say they will continue to explore other options amid the potential loss of hundreds if not thousands of wellpaid jobs, the announcement has been welcomed by anti-nuclear groups who have been opposed for decades.
According to People Against Wylfa B (PAWB), the area’s economic future “has been put in the hands of a few people in a room in Tokyo”, while “shattering the hopes of a generation of young people”.
In the wake of this week’s setback for nuclear power, the group has now turned its sights on planning guidelines, calling on the two local authorities to rip up their existing blueprint, which is required by law, and “start again”.
The Joint Local Development Plan (JLDP) proposes why and where 7,184 new homes should be built across Anglesey and Gwynedd over the period up to 2026.
The plan was ratified separately by both authorities in 2017, with a scheduled monitoring review set to take place in 2021. When adopted, it was promised that the plan would provide a “robust framework” for the realisation of the Energy Island programme, while ensuring the area benefited from developments coming in the wake of Wylfa Newydd.
But PAWB say both the JLDP and the North Wales Growth Plan were drawn up on the assumption that Wylfa B “would happen and that it would be a good thing”.
A spokesman added: “We call on the councils and the Welsh Government to start from scratch.”
While Wylfa Newydd had been earmarked for a site near Cemaes in northern Anglesey, Gwynedd Council had also made arrangements for an increased demand on housing in the Arfon area.
In a joint statement, Anglesey and Gwynedd councils said: “The task of reviewing the Joint Local Development Plan will begin next year.
“The evidence base collated on an annual basis will need to be taken into account when monitoring the plan, along with any other change of relevance, such as the situation with Wylfa Newydd.“