Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant, Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant, Bridgwater, Somerset, United Kingdom

Why is this consultation being undertaken?

Under the terms of EU Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (the EIA Directive) and the 1991 United Nations Convention on environmental impact in a transboundary context (the Espoo Convention), Member States are required to engage in transboundary public consultation in respect of projects likely to have significant effects on the environment of neighbouring States as part of the environmental impact assessment of a proposed development. For this purpose, the Member State in whose territory the project is intended to be carried out shall send to the affected State, no later than when informing its own public, a description of the project and any available information on its possible transboundary impact.

Each planning authority in Ireland has recently received information in the form of a letter dated 28 July 2017 and Annex from the United Kingdom’s Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (DBEIS) to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government (DHPLG) relating to the development of Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant, which is understood to be under construction near Bridgwater, Somerset, UK.  The DBEIS letter refers to the planning decision of 19 March 2013 by the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to grant consent for this development.

Arising from engagement between the Implementation Committee of the Espoo Convention and the UK, in which the UK maintains it has not breached its international commitments, the UK’s DBEIS letter invites comments on the environmental information on Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Plant, as set out in the webpages listed in the Annex to the letter, in relation to potential transboundary impacts of the development, which was the subject of environmental impact assessment prior to the March 2013 planning decision.  DBEIS has since agreed, in the case of Ireland, to extend the deadline set down in the letter for the receipt of comments.

How to participate

The UK’s DBEIS letter and Annex can be accessed in the public consultations section of the DHPLG website at www.housing.gov.ie/Transboundary Hinkley Point C together with the documents identified by the UK’s DBEIS as most relevant for the purposes of the transboundary consultation and related documents.  A printed copy of these documents, including the UK Secretary of State’s March 2013 planning decision and extracts from the applicant’s environmental statement, are now available for public inspection during office hours at the office of the planning section of each planning authority in Ireland for the duration of the transboundary consultation period and a copy may be purchased from the authority at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of copying.  Other links set out in the Annex to the DBEIS letter may be accessed on the DHPLG website at the above link.

Making a submission or observation

A submission or observations in relation to the potential transboundary environmental effects of the development may be made in writing or by e-mail to the Planning Section in the planning authority for the area in which the person lives or the head office of the body concerned is located (see contact details for each planning authority below).  All submissions or observations must

  1. be titled “Transboundary environmental public consultation – Hinkley Point C”,
  2. include the name and address of the person, authority or body making the submission or observation and the name of the person, if any, acting on behalf of that person, authority or body,
  3. include reasons, considerations and arguments on which the submission or observation is based, and
  4. clearly identify any material in the submission that is considered to contain confidential or personal information.  Responses to this consultation are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2014 and Data Protection legislation.

Submissions or observations may also, or alternatively, be e-mailed to the UK’s DBEIS at the following email address – beiseip@beis.gov.uk

Deadline for submissions or observations

The deadline for the receipt of written submissions or observations by the planning authority under this transboundary consultation process is by close of business Tuesday 17 April 2018.  Submissions or observations will not be individually acknowledged or responded to by the planning authority. DHPLG will not accept submissions or observations in relation to the project.

What will be done with your submissions?

Following consultation with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, each planning authority will forward to the UK’s DBEIS all submissions or observations it receives through this public consultation. Submissions or observations received may be published on the website of the planning authority concerned. The DHPLG and the UK’s DBEIS will not publish any submissions or observations.

Contact details for submissions or observations
Contact details for each planning authority are set out below:

 

Planning authority and weblink Address Consultation e-mail address Phone No.
Carlow County Council Planning Department,
Carlow County Council,
County Buildings, Athy Road, Carlow R93 PH31		 transboundaryplanning@carlowcoco.ie 059 9170300
Cavan County Council Planning Section,
Cavan County Council,
Farnham Centre, Farnham Street, Cavan
H12 AT31		 plan@cavancoco.ie 049 4378300
 Clare County Council Planning Department
Áras Contae an Chláir,
Clare County Council,
New Road, Ennis,
Co. Clare
V95 DXP2		  planoff@clarecoco.ie  065 6821616
 Cork County Council Planning Department,
Cork County Council,
Floor 1 – Tower
County Hall,
Cork
T12 R2NC		  PlanningHinkley@corkcoco.ie   021 4276891
 Donegal County Council Planning Department,
Donegal County Council,
County House, The Diamond, Lifford, Co. Donegal, F93 Y622		  planning@donegalcoco.ie 074 91 53900
 Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council Planning Secretariat,
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council,
County Hall, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire,
Co.Dublin, A96 K6C9		  planningsecretariat@dlrcoco.ie  01 2054700
 Fingal County Council Forward Planning Section,
Fingal County Council,
County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin K67 X8Y2		  planning@fingal.ie 01 890 5000
 Galway County Council Planning Section,
Galway County Council,
Áras an Chontae, Prospect Hill, Galway, H91 H6KX		  planning@galwaycoco.ie  091 509 000
 Kerry County Council Planning Section,
Kerry County Council,
Áras an Chontae, Rathass, Tralee, Co. Kerry,
V92 H7VT		  plan@kerrycoco.ie  066 7183 500
Kildare County Council Planning Section
Kildare County Council
Áras Chill Dara
Devoy Park
Naas
Co. Kildare
W91 X77F		 plandept@kildarecoco.ie 045 980 200
Kilkenny County Council Director of Planning Services,
Kilkenny County Council,
County Hall
John Street
Kilkenny
R95 A39T		 Via www.consult.kilkenny.ie

hinkleypoint@kilkennycoco.ie

 056 779 4000
Laois County Council Planning Section,
Laois County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
JFL Ave,
Portlaoise
Co. Laois
R39 EHP9		 planning@laoiscoco.ie 057 866 4000
Leitrim Country Council Planning Department,
Leitrim County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
St. George’s Tce.
Carrick-on-Shannon
Co. Leitrim
N41 PF67		 planning@leitrimcoco.ie 071 962 0005
Longford County Council Planning Department,
Longford County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
Great Water Street,
Longford
N39 NH56		 planning@longfordcoco.ie 043 334 3300
Louth County Council Planning Section,
Louth County Council,
Town Hall,
Crowe Street,
Dundalk
Co. Louth
A91 W20C		 planninggroup@louthcoco.ie 1890 202 303
Mayo County Council Planning Section,
Mayo County Council,
Áras an Chontae,
The Mall
Castlebar
Co. Mayo
F23 WF90		 planning@mayococo.ie  094 902 4444
 Meath County Council Planning Section,
Meath County Council,
Buvinda House,
Dublin Road,
Navan
Co. Meath
C15 Y291		  planning@meathcoco.ie  046 909 7000
 Monaghan County Council Planning Section
Monaghan County Council
County Offices
The Glen
Monaghan
H18 YT50		  planning@monaghancoco.ie  047 30 500
 Offaly County Council Planning Section
Offaly County Council
Áras an Chontae
Charleville Road
Tullamore
Co. Offaly
R35 F893		  planning@offalycoco.ie  057 934 6800
Roscommon County Council Planning Section
Roscommon County Council
Áras an Chontae
Church Road
Roscommon
F42 VR98		 planning@roscommoncoco.ie 090 663 7100
Sligo County Council Planning Section
Sligo County Council
County Hall
Riverside
Sligo
F91 Y763		 planning@sligococo.ie 071 911 1111
South Dublin County Council Planning Department
Sligo County Council
County Hall
Belgard Square Nth Tallaght
Dublin 24
D24 YNN5		 planning.dept@sdublincoco.ie 01 414 9000
Tipperary County Council Planning Section
Tipperary County Council
Civic Offices
Limerick Road
Nenagh
Co. Tipperary
E45 A099		 planning@tipperarycoco.ie 076 106 5000
Westmeath County Council Planning Section
Westmeath County Council
Áras an Chontae
Mount Street
Mullingar
Co. Westmeath
N91 FH4N		 planning@westmeathcoco.ie 044 933 2000
Wexford County Council Planning Section
Wexford County Council
County Hall
Carricklawn
Wexford
Y35 WY93		 planning@wexfordcoco.ie 053 919 6000
Wicklow County Council Planning Section,
Wicklow County Council,
County Buildings, Whitegates,
Co. Wicklow
A67 FW96		 plandev@wicklowcoco.ie 0404 20 100
Cork City Council Strategic Planning & Economic Development Directorate,
Cork City Council,
City Hall,
Anglesea Street,
Cork
T12 T997		 planning@corkcity.ie 021 496 6222
 Dublin City Council Planning,
Block 4, Floor 0,
Civic Offices,
Wood Quay,
Dublin 8
D08 RF3F		  hinkleyconsultation@dublincity.ie  01 222 2222
Galway City Council Planning Department, Galway City Council,
City Hall,
College Road,
Galway
H91 X4K8		 planning@galwaycity.ie 091 536 400
Limerick City and County Council Planning Section,
Floor 1,
Limerick City & County Council Offices,
Dooradoyle
Limerick
V94 WV78		 planning@limerick.ie 061 556 000
Waterford City and County Council The Planning Department
Waterford City and County Council,
1st Floor,
Menapia Building,
The Mall,
Waterford
X91 FXN4		 planning@waterfordcouncil.ie 076 110 2020