SERVICES
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
- be titled “Transboundary environmental public consultation – Hinkley Point C”,
- 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,
- include reasons, considerations and arguments on which the submission or observation is based, and
- 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 | 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 |