In the 1950s, the British government seriously considered storing nuclear waste in disused coal mines in Gloucestershire. Following the initial stages of the UK’s atomic energy and weapons program, plans were approved to dump radioactive waste from Harwell and Aldermaston in old coal pits within the Forest of Dean.
Among the proposed sites were the New Fancy mine near Parkend, Crump Meadow, Foxes Bridge, and Lightmoor near Cinderford, as reported by the Dean Forest Mercury on August 20, 1954. However, these plans faced strong opposition from local communities, who criticized the lack of proper consultation and voiced significant concerns over environmental and health risks.
Albert Brookes, chairman of the then West Dean Rural District Council, expressed hope that public outcry would prevent the dumping. Miners feared that radioactive contamination could seep through water supplies into active mines. In response to these concerns, a special conference of the three rural district councils convened in Coleford to formally protest the government’s authorization.
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Government geologists assured the public that contamination of water supplies would not occur, but skepticism remained. Lord Bledisloe commented that the scheme could severely damage the natural beauty and healthfulness of the area, highlighting the limited understanding of the dangers posed by radioactive waste at the time.
Morgan Philips Price, MP for West Gloucestershire, echoed the miners' fears and condemned what he saw as government disregard for the Forest of Dean, stating, “There is probably a feeling among Government officers that the Forest of Dean is a derelict mining area and it does not matter what is put into its old pits. That is complete nonsense.” He demanded greater transparency and assurances that storing nuclear waste would not harm the local population or tourism.
Ultimately, due to strong local opposition and unresolved safety concerns, the government abandoned the proposals to store nuclear waste in Gloucestershire’s old coal mines.