Cumbria CC’s cabinet has rejected proposals to store nuclear waste underground in the area by seven votes to three.
The local authority vetoed the move to progress to ‘stage four’ of the search for a site to hold a £12bn radioactive waste facility.
That stage would include detailed geological investigations and discussions over the social and economic implications.
At the meeting today, Cumbria CC leader Eddie Martin said it was the ‘most courageous and pivotal decision’ the council could make.
In response Department for Energy and Climate Change ministers said they would ‘embark on a renewed drive’ to advance the case to local authorities for hosting such a facility and would consult with Cumbria on ‘what lessons can be learned’.Energy and Climate Change secretary Ed Davey said he respected the decision but it was ‘disappointing’.
‘We remain firmly committed to geological disposal as the right policy for the long-term, safe and secure management of radioactive waste. We also remain committed to the principles of voluntarism and a community-led approach.
‘The fact that Copeland voted in favour of entering the search for a potential site for a GDF demonstrates that communities recognise the benefits associated with hosting such a facility.
‘For any host community there will be a substantial community benefits package, worth hundreds of millions of pounds. That is in addition to the hundreds of jobs and major investment that such a huge infrastructure project could bring,’ Davey said.
Cumbria's decision delighted environmental campaigners including Friends of the Earth, who said they were not sure which way the vote would go.
