Waveney MP hopeful's challenge to Government on Sizewell C

Adrian Ramsay, the party's co-leader, said the twin reactor, which is set to cost £25 billion, was "not yet a done deal" and said the Government was already reviewing "other expensive projects".

READ MORE: Government gives Sizewell C £170m from project war chest

People touring Sizewell B. (Image: Angela Sharpe)

He said: "Although the consent has been given, Sizewell C is not yet a done deal. It is an extremely expensive project and we have seen the Government thinking twice about other expensive projects so there is an economic environment about where the money's best spent."

READ MORE: Suffolk lido proposed to address Sizewell C concerns

Mr Ramsay, who does not want the station to be built, said he would support East Suffolk Council in asking questions of the Government about the impacts of the project, including on the maritime environment, sea defences and neighbouring habitats.

He added there were also questions about the storage of fuel rods used at the plant.

READ MORE: Leiston news 

He described nuclear as an "expensive distraction" from the action that needed to be taken on energy costs and the climate crisis, adding that nuclear power took a "decade to come on stream" and there had been delays with another power station, Hinkley Point C, in Somerset.

East Suffolk Council leader Caroline Topping (Image: East Suffolk Council)However, East Suffolk Council leader Caroline Topping, who represents the Greens, refused to give her own views on the Sizewell C plans, saying that she was remaining neutral and would act as a mediator between the parties on the council.

She said: "If I pre-determine myself, it might exclude me from conversations."

READ MORE: Suffolk news

But on Wednesday last week, East Suffolk councillor Tom Daly brought a motion to council calling for the strengthening of its commitment to maximise the benefits and minimise the impact of development.

The motion also called for a full cost-benefit analysis of all electricity generation in the UK and a community compensation scheme for those affected by energy infrastructure.

The Sizewell C site. (Image: Mike Page)

A spokesperson for Sizewell C said: "For decades the UK’s nuclear fleet has been quietly providing the nation’s zero carbon electricity.

"Hinkley Point C has rebuilt an industry and Sizewell C is next in line and now, through Great British Nuclear, there is a clear strategy for continuing this journey to achieving our Net Zero goals which are vital in the battle against climate change.

"Once operational, Sizewell C will save consumers in the region of £30 to £50 a year on household bills, in comparison with a system without more nuclear, relying on other technologies available today to make low-carbon electricity.

"Sizewell C has always had the support of the local quiet majority as uncovered by an independent ICM poll which shows that 61% of respondents support plans for the new power station, while 24% are opposed.  

"The industry is one the UK can be proud of, here in Sizewell nuclear power has employed thousands of local people, equipping them with the green skills needed to generate low carbon power for millions of local homes for decades."