DEPUTY Prime Minister John Prescott must hold a full public inquiry into
plans for a massive extension to the Atomic Weapons Establishment
(AWE) at Aldermaston, a Euro-MP has demanded.

"The plans for a new and upgraded nuclear weapons factory threaten local
democracy, international law and world peace" said Caroline Lucas, Green
Party MEP for South-East England. The proposals, for a 'laser
facility' and associated buildings to test the next generation of
nuclear weapons, will be discussed by planners at West Berkshire
District Council (WBDC) next week.

Dr Lucas has written to Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, urging him to
'call in' the proposals and hold a public inquiry. She said an inquiry was
justified for several reasons, including:

* The high number of public objections received by West Berkshire District
Council
* The scale of the plans, which constitute a 'major project' of regional and
national importance
* The need for a separate prior debate on whether to upgrade the current
Trident nuclear arsenal at all
* The potential illegality of the plans under international law:
specifically the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the 1996 ruling of the
International Court that nuclear weapons are unlawful
* To conform to EU rules on the Environmental Impact Assessment of
major developments

WBDC's planning committee had been due to discuss the proposals at a
meeting last November, but a decision was put off until next
Wednesday, January 25th.

Dr Lucas, who is a member of the European Parliament's Environment
Committee, co-president of its cross-party peace initiatives group and a
member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's National Council, has
written to WBDC arguing the proposed new facility is out of keeping with
other buildings in the area, would pose a public health risk and should
therefore be subject to public consultation - and that it would increase
traffic by nearly ten per cent for 30 months.

"The planned facility poses a major environmental and health risk, yet no
proper assessment of its impact on local people has been carried out," she
said.

"This is in breach of both EU and UK law and is itself reason enough for
West Berkshire planners to oppose the facility."

The MEP also told planners she was concerned at evidence of work
already starting on the laser facility's construction before
receiving planning
permission.

Dr Lucas added: "To start work on new facility at Britain's nuclear
weapons factory before local people have had their say on the
proposals is a shameful abuse of local democracy and misuse of public
money.

"The proposals breach not only local and EU planning rules, they fly in the
face of international law - and common sense - regarding nuclear weapons.
The UK cannot hope to persuade states such as Iran and North Korea to
abandon their nuclear ambitions whilst we continue to invest in our own
nuclear weapons capacity."

Dr Lucas is determined to halt work at Aldermaston by any lawful
means. If her plea to John Prescott and local planners falls on deaf
ears, she has pledged to 'block the builders' - by lying down in front of them, if
necessary.

"I have been arrested before for obstructing nuclear weapons - and
I'm not afraid of being arrested again, blocking the builders at
Aldermaston if need be.

"The real crime, and one which we hope to prevent, is the proliferation of
nuclear weapons of mass destruction."