Claims that Milton Keynes is being considered as a site to store nuclear waste have sparked a war of words between the Labour and Conservative parties.

The Labour Leader of Milton Keynes City Council Peter Marland claimed that a site in the north of the city had been identified as a potential dumping ground for nuclear waste.

He said that Nuclear Waste Services, the body responsible for managing the nuclear waste generated from UK power stations, has contacted the council about an “interested party” looking for a site.

Nuclear Waste Services has been approached for comment.

In an email seen by the BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) a council official said they had been contacted by a member of the government body who “confirmed that they will ‘close out’ with the interested party, meaning the initial assessment of a site in MK will go no further”.

Milton Keynes Labour said it had launched a petition to oppose the “plans” that will be sent to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho.

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Chris Curtis, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Milton Keynes North, said it would be “reckless” to dispose of nuclear waste near Milton Keynes, Northampton and “many large villages”.

However, the claims that Milton Keynes is being weighed up as a site for nuclear waste storage have been seized upon by the Conservative MP for Milton Keynes North Ben Everitt.

In a written statement, he said: “There are no plans to store nuclear waste in MK and there never will be. It just won’t happen. MK has never been considered as a site for this.

“The Labour Party should be ashamed of their behaviour, but once again they have put politics before people.

“Quite simply the Labour leader of MK Council and his desperate parliamentary candidate for MK North should make a full public apology for this pathetic, shameful, scaremongering.”

In response to the Tory MP’s words, Cllr Marland told the LDRS: “I see no need to apologise for calling out this useless government on their lunatic plans.”

He added: “I’d be happy to share the emails with him that this was under consideration, however he knows that himself as I have it in strong authority, he’s been in touch with them to raise the matter.”

The council leader said the Nuclear Waste Services Authority had been in contact with Milton Keynes City Council and held a meeting with council officers “where they were clear” that a site in the north of Milton Keynes is being evaluated for nuclear waste storage.

He added: “The council has given feedback, but we have been warned that the decision on choosing a site is for the government who can overrule local opinion on national infrastructure.”