The Government wants a planning system for major infrastructure which is rapid, predictable and accountable. Planning decisions should be taken within a clear policy framework making these decisions as transparent as possible. The energy National Policy Statements (NPSs) will be a blueprint for decision-making on individual applications for development consent for the relevant types of infrastructure.
Between November 2009 and February 2010, the previous Government consulted on six draft energy NPSs, including nuclear. A second consultation on a set of revised draft NPSs was conducted between October 2010 and January 2011. Material relating to these consultations can be found at Energy National Policy Statements (NPS) consultation archive.
The Government has considered the responses received during the second consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny and on 23 June laid a final set of NPSs before Parliament for approval – see the National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure page.
On 18th July 2011 the House of Commons debated and approved the six National Policy Statements for Energy (NPS). On 19th July 2011, Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change designated the NPSs under the Planning Act 2008.
Background
The draft Nuclear NPS was first published for public consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny in 2009, alongside draft NPSs covering other types of energy infrastructure and an Overarching NPS which gives guidance applicable to all energy infrastructure including nuclear power stations. The consultation on the draft Energy National Policy Statements including the draft Nuclear National Policy Statement closed in February 2010. The consultation gave the public the opportunity to influence and comment on the draft energy NPSs at a national and local level. We are pleased that so many people and organisations have taken part and given their views.
Some of the key elements of the revised draft Nuclear NPS include:
- Guidance for the Infrastructure Planning Commission on the impacts of new nuclear power stations
- An assessment of the arrangements for the management and disposal of waste that will be produced by new nuclear power stations. These arrangements comprise safe and secure interim storage on site; ahead of disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility.
- A list of the eight sites in England and Wales that the Government considers to be potentially suitable for the deployment of new nuclear power stations by the end of 2025. This list of sites is the outcome of a Strategic Siting Assessment
- Two environmental reports – the Appraisal of Sustainability and the Habitats Regulations Assessment – support the revised draft Nuclear NPS and assessment of sites.
The first consultation on the draft Energy National Policy Statements, including the draft Nuclear National Policy Statement, closed in February 2010. The consultation gave the public the opportunity to influence and comment on the draft energy NPSs at a national and local level. The Government response to this consultation was published alongside the revised draft NPS on 18 October 2010. Given the changes that were made the Government consulted again between October 2010 and January 2011 on the revised draft NPSs and the accompanying documents.
Material relating to both consultations can be found on the Energy National Policy Statements consultation website.
The Government has considered the responses received during the second consultation and Parliamentary scrutiny and laid a final set of NPS’s before Parliament on 23 June 2011 for approval. The final NPSs and associated documents can be found on the National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure page.
On 18th July 2011 the House of Commons debated and approved the six National Policy Statements for Energy (NPS). On 19th July 2011, Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change designated the NPSs under the Planning Act 2008.
Siting
The Strategic Siting Assessment process identified sites which are potentially suitable for the deployment of new nuclear power stations by the end of 2025.
Assessment was set out in January 2009. 10 sites were nominated. Sites were assessed against the Strategic Siting Assessment criteria and an Appraisal of Sustainability and Habitats Regulations Assessments were carried out.
The range of sources that the Government used in coming to its decision include comments made by the public during the initial opportunity for public comments and the public consultation on the draft Nuclear NPS, the Appraisal of Sustainability and Habitats Regulations Assessment reports on each site and on the NPS as a whole, and advice from specialists such as the regulators.
The Government considers that the nominations-driven Strategic Siting Assessment process is well-suited to identifying potentially suitable sites for the deployment of new nuclear power stations by the end of 2025. However, in order to ensure that, so far as possible, alternative sites have been identified and assessed, and in line with the requirements of the Habitats Directive, an Alternative Site Study was commissioned to identify whether there might be other sites in England and Wales worthy of further consideration. The Alternative Sites Study found three sites worthy of further consideration. Having also considered these sites, the Government considers that the three sites identified by the Alternative Sites Study are not potentially suitable for the deployment of a new nuclear power station by 2025.
Consulting on sites
The site nominations were published for comment in Spring 2009.
The draft Nuclear NPS, which listed 10 sites as potentially suitable, was consulted on from November 2009 to February 2010.
The second consultation on the revised draft Nuclear NPS, which lists 8 sites as potentially suitable, was undertaken between 1 October 2010 and 24 January 2011. The revised draft Nuclear National Policy Statement was laid before Parliament on 23 June 2011 and designated by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on 19 July 2011 and this, along with the other revised draft NPSs and accompanying documents, can be found on the National Policy Statements for Energy Infrastructure page.