Sizewell C rushes ahead & wreaks havoc in the area.

Posted: 20th November 2024

Why the hurry with no Final Investment Decision in the near future?

Dear friends,

The Autumn Budget confirmed reports that the Financial Investment Decision for Sizewell C would not be taken until 2025 and even as late as 2026. We didn’t hear until later in the day that yet another £2.7 billion was given to SZC Co to fund the project over the next two years. It seems rather irresponsible of the Government to continue to finance a project they haven’t made a total commitment to, saying “a Final Investment Decision on whether to proceed with the project will be taken at Phase 2 of the Spending Review”.
Labour’s manifesto: While TASC appreciates that this government committed to Sizewell C in its manifesto, it needs to be recognised that its inclusion was prior to the knowledge that the Final Investment Decision (FID) could be delayed until 2026 and that the project now includes additional elements of such magnitude, including the commitment by SZC Ltd to overland flood barriers and the 20-year extension of the site lifetime, which were not included in the approved DCO. This means there are now effectively two substantially different SZC projects, the one in the DCO approved by the Secretary of State in 2022 and the one now being considered by the ONR in the ‘site safety case’. When the manifesto was decided, Labour would not necessarily have been aware there were still major aspects of the project that remain incomplete, these not only having significant cost implications but call into doubt the viability of the entire project – these include: the absence of a final design of the sea defences: lack of a guaranteed sustainable supply of potable water for operations; and the nuclear site’s unfinished ground stabilisation trials which have only recently changed from soil mixing to ground freezing trials.

Lovers Lane
Before Sizewell A was built Lovers Lane was an unmade track leading off Abbey Road to Kenton Hills and Leiston Common. When Sizewell A was proposed it was decided that a relief road was needed so traffic would avoid Leiston, Lovers Lane was upgraded to a tarmac road and served the project well. The road needed some upgrading for Sizewell B but nothing on the scale of what is happening for the Sizewell C build.
Although many of us knew or certainly had a good inkling as to what lay ahead it has still come as a shock to witness this bare, industrial landscape emerging from what was, a few days ago, a tree-covered country road with 150-year-old oaks and ancient hedgerows on its borders.
One of the most shocking aspects of the SZC build has been the spread of the project throughout the area. Who thought the field bordering Buckles Wood on the edge of Leiston would turn into a compound for the rail link? The road leading to the site is no more than 11ft wide in parts and surely unsuitable for the heavy machinery needed around the site. This is the case for many of the surrounding lanes, compounds appear and trees and hedges are removed, shocking, especially as the UK has been highlighted as having some of the lowest biodiversity in Europe and the Western world.
With so much infrastructure needed for Sizewell C, we wonder what the final cost of such a complicated build will be, financial and environmental, the Government is extremely reluctant to say.

We urge you to write to your MP with these concerns ASAP. However, please do not expect to receive a quick response – TASC has written to Jenny Riddell-Carpenter on five occasions over the last four months expressing concerns about the project, particularly the environmental destruction prior to a final investment decision, but still hasn’t received any response.

Other News
Stop Sizewell C Petition
To The Office of Value for Money’s independent Chair, David Goldstone, calling for scrutiny of the Sizewell C project. They have over 1400 signatures to date but are hoping to get a few more before sending. If you have not yet signed, please do so here
https://action.stopsizewellc.org/valueformoney and share with friends and family.

Finally, TASC has recently set up a new account on the BlueSky social network – address: @sayno2sizewellc.bsky.social You can still find us on X for the time being @SayNo2SizewellC

Date for your diary.

TASC AGM November 25th at 1 pm via ZOOM.
All are welcome. If you would like to attend, please get in touch at [email protected] and we will send you the Zoom link or check our website nearer the date.

STOP SIZEWELL C has a date of 3rd December at the High Court, for a “renewal” hearing which aims to take their challenge of the Sizewell C Nuclear Site Licence to the next stage. If you could make it to the High Court on 3 December to support them, please email [email protected] for timings..
We wish them luck and solidarity.