PLANS for a new nuclear development five miles from Chepstow were discussed last Tuesday (11th February) at the Drill Hall.

The meeting was organised by Severnside Together Against Nuclear Development (STAND).

The proposed site for the nuclear development will be located at Oldbury and has the potential to be visible from as far away as Gloucester, Stroud, Newport and Bristol.

Barbara French of STAND showed the public an artist's impression of the proposed nuclear reactors which are going to be built by the Gloucester company Horizon and the Japanese manufacturer Hitachi.

She said: "A major concern is the size of the development.

"They say that plans produced by Horizon show the intended reactor size will be four times the size of the present reactor building and on top of that, the three or four cooling towers will be absolutely enormous and an eyesore.

"According to Horizon's own report it will even be visible from Stroud, Bristol, Gloucester, Newport and surrounding areas."

The public heard a talk from nuclear test veteran Dennis Hayden about the dangers to health from routine low-level radiation releases from nuclear power stations.

Mr Hayden said that although research into genetic damage caused by low level radiation has been suppressed in the UK, a recent scientific study in New Zealand suggested swallowng or inhaling just one microscopic particle causes untold damage to the chromosomes, damage that can be passed down through 20 or so generations leading to genetic defects and early death from cancer.

Barbara French added: "With rising sea levels and the history of a tsunami and a sea surge of three metres above normal high tide up the Severn, it is madness to be building on that site.

"It can only be a matter of time before it suffers a catastrophic flood one way or another.

"Should there be a serious accident, the experience of Chernobyl in the Ukraine, and more recently Fukishima in Japan, shows that not only Stroud, but Gloucester, Bristol and surrounding areas would be uninhabitable, some of it forever

"And, unlike in Japan, there appear to be no plans at all to protect the local population should there be an accident."

According to Horizon, progress has been made in the adoption of UK Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (UK ABWR) technology for use in the UK.

This is the proposed reactor technology that could be used to deliver at least 5,200MW of low carbon electricity at the present site in Oldbury-on-Severn.

Alan Raymant, chief operating officer of Horizon Nuclear Power, said: "We welcome this progress on the NIA's application for the UK ABWR Regulatory Justification.

"This is central to Horizon's plans to develop new nuclear power facilities at Wylfa and Oldbury."

STAND has organised an event to commemorate the anniversary of the Fukushima disaster.

Members will be throwing flowers into the river at Lydney docks on Tuesday 11th March.

The group will also be sending letters of support to the people of Fukushima that will be translated and sent to its mayor.

For more details about the campaign visit http://www.standagainstoldbury.org">www.standagainstoldbury.org