RAF Lakenheath faces possible legal challenge over nuclear weapon fears

RAF Lakenheath is home to USAF's 48th Fighter Wing and hosted nuclear weapons until 2008

A campaign group has challenged development works at an RAF base, over fears it could host nuclear weapons.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) believes the project at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk is in preparation for stationing nuclear weapons.

CND said the US Air Force, which operates the base, had "ignored the risks".

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Pentagon said they would not comment on the location of weapons.

Kate Hudson previously said hosting US nuclear arms would be "beyond irresponsible"

Development plans for the base include a $50m (£39.5m), 144-bed dormitory "to house the increase in enlisted personnel as the result of the potential surety mission".

The term "surety" is often used to refer to the concept of ensuring nuclear weapons are kept safe and secure.

According to CND, the MoD has indicated that it believes it has permitted development rights and does not need planning permission or an environmental assessment.

Solicitors acting on behalf of CND - in an open letter to the council and MoD on Wednesday - claimed this was not permitted according to the Town and Country Planning Order 2017.

CND claimed: "The MoD and West Suffolk Council have failed to assess the environmental impact of potentially facilitating the weapons at the Suffolk airbase."

They called for development works to be halted while "the necessary screening is carried out".

RAF Lakenheath has been controlled by the US Air Force since 1948 and is home to its 48th Fighter Wing, consisting of more than 4,000 military personnel and 1,500 civilians.

A protest was staged outside RAF Lakenheath in May 2022, opposing the possible return of nuclear arms

CND general secretary Kate Hudson said: "[The] US Air Force has ploughed ahead with construction at the airbase by purportedly relying on planning rights that assume that the development won't have significant environmental effects.

"But in doing that they've completely ignored the risks that stationing nuclear weapons would entail and therefore might arguably be operating unlawfully in breach of planning control."

Ricardo Gama, a planning law specialist representing CND, said the campaign group wanted to ensure that any project to house nuclear weapons at Lakenheath did not "slip under the radar without proper public scrutiny".

West Suffolk Council was contacted for comment.