The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is challenging the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) attempt to construct a 144-bed dormitory at RAF Lakenheath, potentially facilitating the return of US nuclear weapons to British territory. CND contends that this move, undertaken without planning permission, necessitates an environmental impact assessment. The dormitory, slated to commence construction next year, aims to accommodate additional US personnel, a key element if B-61 air-launched nuclear bombs return to Lakenheath, absent since 2007.
CND’s intervention requests West Suffolk council to enforce an environmental impact assessment or halt the project. Kate Hudson, CND’s general secretary, accused the US air force of advancing without due consideration for potential environmental consequences, raising concerns about the risks associated with storing nuclear weapons in Suffolk.
Throughout the cold war, US nuclear weapons were stationed in the UK, drawing sustained protests. Cruise missiles at Greenham Common were removed in 1991, and air-launched gravity bombs at Lakenheath were relocated 16 years ago. However, recent global nuclear dynamics have seen nuclear states, including the UK and the US, enhance and expand their arsenals.
The specific weapon under consideration is the B61-12, with a maximum yield of 50 kilotonnes, surpassing the 15-kilotonne Hiroshima blast. While the UK disclosed plans to increase its Trident warhead stockpile by 40%, the US is upgrading its gravity bombs.
The MoD asserts that the dormitory, being a permitted development under crown rights, does not require planning permission. However, CND argues that it is the USAF, utilizing a $50 million budget allocation from Congress, conducting the development and insists on an environmental impact assessment.
Failure by the council to intervene may prompt CND to seek a judicial review. The dormitory dispute emerges as the primary avenue for public consultation, as storing nuclear weapons at Lakenheath is not inherently a planning issue.
