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Nuclear Free Local Authorities question ‘independence’ of Allerdale appointees linked to nuclear industry
The Allerdale Community Partnership may boast that its latest appointees are ‘independent’, but, as the Nuclear Free Local Authorities have discovered, a little research reveals their business links to the nuclear industry.
The Community Partnership is the lead local body working in partnership with Nuclear Waste Services, an arm of the Nuclear Decommissioning Agency, to determine if Allerdale could become the location for a Geological Disposal Facility, an underground or undersea dump for Britain’s toxic legacy of nuclear waste.
Now the Community Partnership has announced the appointment of four new board members, three are individuals, Adrian Davis-Johnson, Phil Davies, and John Coughlan, whilst the fourth is an organisation, the Cumbria Youth Alliance.
In its March recruitment drive, the Allerdale Community Partnership pledged to appoint new members that were ‘both representative (of the local community) and diverse’[i], but the three appointed individuals all have a long history of working for or providing services to the nuclear industry.
Mr Davis-Johnson is a board member of the Centre for Leadership Performance which describes his background: ‘Adrian is Head Of Research, Development And Innovation at Nuvia UK, an international nuclear engineering, project management and services contractor which has developed a reputation for high-quality delivery’[ii]. Nuvia UK is the British arm of an international business which, according to its website, has ‘been involved in all the major nuclear projects in the world thanks to our solid and historical expertise’[iii]
Of Mr Davies the Allerdale Community Partnership says on its website: ‘Phil spent 20 years in civil engineering construction and consultancy before joining the nuclear industry with senior roles at Nirex, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and NuGen. Since 2011 he has operated independently on strategic and radioactive waste management consultancy activities in UK and internationally.’[iv] According to his Linked In profile, Mr Davies has been the Director and Principal Consultant for Westlakes Nuclear Limited since November 2010 and was before that Head of Waste and Nuclear Materials for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority from January 2005 to October 2010.[v]
Whilst of Mr Coghlan, the same Allerdale website says: ‘John is CEO at Workington based firm TSP Engineering and has previously held senior positions across other industries including nuclear, civil, defence and manufacturing.’[vi] TSP Engineering is a Workington-based specialist engineering company that describes itself as a ‘key supplier’ to the nuclear industry.[vii]
“Whilst I do not doubt the professionalism of these three gentlemen, I would hazard that for most people an ‘independent’ person would be someone not reliant upon the nuclear industry for any part of their employment or income,” commented Councillor David Blackburn, Chair of the NFLA Steering Committee.
For more information, please contact NFLA Secretary Richard Outram by email on richard.outram@manchester.gov.uk or mobile 0758309779
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Notes to Editors.
The media release can be found on the NFLA website at:
End notes: