They are again trying to vary the condition in the DCO and remove the AFDs from the HPC cooling water intake system. They are once more tying up Environment Agency (EA) resources with a new consultation, to go over exactly the same ground that has already been covered in the Public Enquiry of 2021, all at great expense to the taxpayer and enormous effort from numerous Environmental Groups and NGOs’. This led to a final decision from Secretary of State George Eustice, who agreed that the AFD’s should be fitted, as agreed in the original 2013 DCO,
They are also including a ‘package of compensatory habitat measures’. But all these will be of no use to the billions of fish killed by the cooling water intake system. This consultation is a PR exercise to allow HPC to charm the public into their point of view.
Members of the HPC project team will be available to answer questions about the proposed application at the following times and locations.
- Thurs 11 Jan 15.00 – 19.00 at Stogursey Victory Hall, Stogursey TA5 1PR
- Thurs 18 Jan 12.00 – 17.00 Cannington Court, Church Street, Cannington TA5 2HA
- Mon 23 Jan 11.00 – 15.00 at Wembdon Village Hall, Homburg Way, Wembdon TA6 7BY
- Tues 30 Jan 16.00 – 20.00 at Pawlett Village Hall, Old Main Road, Pawlett TA6 4RY
Anyone who wishes to submit any comments in respect of the proposed application can:
- See details and comment here: Hinkley Point C Development Consent Order Public Consultation | EDF (edfenergy.com)
- Email edfenergy@hpcenquiries.com
- Post: Freepost SEC Newgate UK local HPC Consultation 2024
- Phone: 0333 009 7070 during normal office hours.
All responses and comments must be received no later than 23.39 on 29 February 2024. When providing your response or comments, please include your name and address (if you prefer to be anonymous use your postcode only) and confirm the nature of your interest in the proposed application.
- Bear in mind that HPC have stated that responses and comments will be reviewed by them and MAY be made available to the relevant statutory authorities. This implies that some may NOT be made available.
EDF are running rings around our democratic planning process by refusing to implement environmental safeguards to maintain our essential UK fish breeding stocks in the Severn Estuary, one of the most significant fish breeding grounds in Europe.
This application confirms that EDF appear to have got the decision on the AFDs transferred from Defra to Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ). We doubt DESNZ had any knowledge of or involvement in the AFD Public Enquiry of 2021 or the Secretary of State for Defra’s final decision in October 2022.
We believe that EDF’s lawyers identified a loophole in which government agency was responsible for regulating the HPC Cooling system. They now say the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for the open sea intakes and the Environment Agency for the outflow onshore, thus splitting the environmental regulation of the cooling system between two agencies. Both are part of Defra and I would suggest that DESNZ and EDF are concerned that Defra will again support the enforcement of the installation of the AFDs.
This means that any appeal to honour the decision of the former SoS for Defra George Eustice and the Planning Inspectorate in October 2022, to enforce the use of the AFDs, will now fall on deaf ears.
Also see:
http://stophinkley.org/nuclear-new-build/what-is-an-acoustic-fish-deterrent-and-why-is-it-necessary/