Sizewell C : application for an appeal hearing at the Supreme Court has been denied
Posted: 14th May 2024
Disappointing news on the Supreme Court Appeal.
Together Against Sizewell C LTD is extremely disappointed to advise that our application for an appeal hearing at the Supreme Court has been denied. However, the fact remains the same – Sizewell C, which is situated in the driest drought-prone region of the country, still has no guaranteed sustainable mains water supply essential for its slated 60 years of operation and the full environmental impacts of getting mains water to the site are yet to be assessed. Although it may have been deemed lawful to build a nuclear power station without a mains water supply and whose sister project, Hinkley Point C, is now expected to cost £46 billion, one must not only question the UK’s planning system but also this government’s logic to have already ploughed £2.5 billion of taxpayer funds into a project as risky as Sizewell C.
Those following our journey through the courts may recall our Ground 6 argument that the Secretary of State “acted irrationally in concluding the site would be clear of nuclear material by 2140…”. Despite that claim being dismissed in the High Court, TASC’s position has now been vindicated by SZC Ltd admitting, during East Suffolk Council’s (ESC) review of the applications to discharge DCO Requirements 12 and 19, that 2160 is the expected date for spent fuel to be removed from site. SZC Ltd only admitted to the 2160 date after pressure from ESC which in turn was because of TASC’s representations to ESC – it is somewhat disconcerting that it has taken the persistence of a campaign group to establish the full lifetime of the SZC nuclear site and we questions why, during the DCO examination, our argument over the full lifetime of the site was not supported by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) and Environment Agency, our chief nuclear regulators. TASC have taken this matter up with the planning inspectorate.
TASC are appalled that the ONR recently granted a Nuclear Site Licence (NSL) for Sizewell C, sited on one of Europe’s fastest eroding coastlines, (see our press release). This is despite the flood risk modelling and therefore the site safety case having only been carried out to 2140, even though the ONR are aware spent fuel will remain on site till at least 2160, and the final design of the sea defences has been scoped out of the NSL assessment. Prior to the grant of the NSL, TASC wrote to the ONR expressing our concerns.
TASC are extremely grateful to all those who have continued to support our campaign, we could not have got this far without you.
The uncertainties around funding, lack of permits and growing local opposition offer many opportunities which we are exploring. TASC are reviewing our options, and we are certainly not giving up.
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Pete Wilkinson, TASC’s deputy Chair, has recently had an article about Sizewell C published in the East Anglia Bylines magazine LINK
“The tragedy is that nuclear is now a redundant technology which takes too long to come to our climate-change rescue and is not fit to be in the front-line of defence against climate change. It does not represent a plan of great urgency to meet the accelerating existential threats of climate change.”
The Coastal Path.
The plans for diverting the coastal path in front of the Sizewell C site have just gone on the Suffolk County Council website. The consultation closes on May 22nd. Please look at the plans and send in a comment.
The map looks as if you will need wellies at high tide. The popular Park Runners must be worried as we all should be. Goodbye to quiet walks along the beach.
https://suffolk.planning-register.co.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=SCC%2F0045%2F24%2FDOR#undefined
Support Stop Sizewell C Campaign.
TAKE ACTION – there are six companies considering an investment in Sizewell C. Please write to them.
Take Action #1. Write to Investors:
Stop Sizewell C have SIX campaign actions directed at these companies and request you to do them all! They are all accessible via
https://action.stopsizewellc.org