CONFIRMATION that Sizewell is on the government's list of potential sites for a new generation of nuclear power plants is good news for Suffolk and good news for the environment.

CONFIRMATION that Sizewell is on the government's list of potential sites for a new generation of nuclear power plants is good news for Suffolk and good news for the environment.

If Britain is to wean itself off its dependence on fossil fuels, then a new generation of nuclear power plants is absolutely vital.

There needs to be a major investment in alternative sources of power like wind, wave and even solar plants - but there also needs to be a form of power that is not weather-dependent and by far the cleanest form of this is the nuclear option.

While there is a downside to this - the problem of what to do with the waste and the issue of decommissioning at the end of a power station's life - the fact is that nuclear energy remains a much cleaner form of power generation than polluting the atmosphere.

I know some environmentalists believe all our energy needs can be met by using renewable forms of generation - wind, sun, wave, hydro-electricity, tidal power - but realistically that isn't going to happen.

While they are all very important, a form of insurance - to make sure there is still power on cloudy days with no wind - is vital. . . and nuclear power is much better for the earth than pumping more greenhouse gases from fossil fuels into the atmosphere.

That being the case, Sizewell is the obvious place to start building the next generation of nuclear plants.

People that live in the area are generally sympathetic to having a nuclear station as part of their community, they know it provides high-quality secure jobs, and the infrastructure is there.

Suffolk Coastal John Gummer is absolutely right to see the potential arrival as a possible boost for the whole local economy - urging the developers to leave a legacy of high-quality affordable homes in the area.

If he is successful in these demands - and they could be far cheaper for EDF or whoever goes ahead with the project than fighting a long battle against truculent local residents - then new nuclear stations could be a win-win for the county.

And why not stick a few wind turbines on the now-redundant Sizewell A site - they could put the land to some productive use and distract the eye from the monstrosity our predecessors from the 1960s left us!

FORMER mayor Ian Grimwood was a real expert on everything connected to Ipswich and his death leaves a massive gap in the town.

Never someone to push himself forward - he was always happy to be a backbench councillor rather than a member of the executive - he was someone held in great respect by everyone from all political parties.

He did not shout and rant. When he spoke at council meetings people listened and took heed of what he said.

As mayor he harnessed this quiet determination and impressed everyone he met.

I would like to extend my condolences to his widow Pam who supported him throughout his mayoralty. The town has lost a fine servant.