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On shaky ground? Latest EDF planning application casts doubt on suitability of Sizewell site

The Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) were surprised to see a late
planning application from nuclear power operator EDF Energy to East Suffolk
Council seeking permission to carry out testing on its proposed Sizewell C
nuclear power plant site.

Commenting, Cllr David Blackburn, Chair of the
NFLA, said: “The application has gone in just as the Planning
Inspectorate is about to make a recommendation to the Secretary of State on
whether to proceed further with the next stage of the development. EDF wish
to be allowed to conduct on-site trials to test whether their construction
methods will work on the land at their disposal. It ‘beggar’s belief’
that they should do this now at such a late stage in the process, rather
than at the start.”

The application concedes that EDF still need to
conduct soil and ground anchor trails to determine if their strategy to
stabilise the site during the construction of the plant will work. The NFLA
fears that the high-risk strategy might make the site unstable and the
cut-off wall could be sent crashing down endangering the lives of
construction workers.

 NFLA 26th Feb 2022

February 28, 2022 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK