THE Vale of Glamorgan Council is to consider requesting a meeting with Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales representatives to discuss plans to dispose of dredged radioactive material in the Bristol Channel near Penarth.

A report to cabinet on Monday, October 9 will seek authority for Cllr John Thomas, the leader of the council, to write urgently to the Welsh Government cabinet secretary for environment and rural affairs and the chief executive of Natural Resources Wales to express the council’s concerns and request a meeting to discuss the disposal of the material in the Bristol Channel at a site referred to as ‘the Cardiff Grounds’.

Following an application made in August 2012, a marine licence was granted in July 2014 by NRW to NNB Genco, a subsidiary of EDF Energy, to dispose of dredged materials arising from works associated with the Hinkley Point power station in Somerset.

No material from Hinkley Point has yet been deposited at the Cardiff Grounds site but the licence remains valid until the March 4 2019 and permits a quantity of 304,885 tonnes to be deposited at the site.

The report by Cllr Geoff Cox, cabinet member for neighbourhood services and transport, sets out concerns to the Welsh Government and the council’s options for raising those concerns .

Cllr Thomas said: “Local residents are understandably very concerned about this proposal and to serve their interests this council will take all steps possible to ensure all necessary assessments are undertaken and safeguards are in place when and if any depositing of material goes ahead.

“The initial licence was granted by NRW more than three years ago and concerns have since been raised about the adequacy of the radiological assessment that was undertaken at the time.

“I believe that at the very least a more thorough radiological assessment, involving greater sampling of the material and undertaken to the full excavation depth and over the entire excavation area, is required.

“I also intend to press NRW and Welsh Government to formally involve the leadership of all affected local authorities so that those residents whose lives will be affected are given a voice in the process.”