Sizewell B Inquiry

EG 2

1483-1987

This series contains records of the public inquiry into the proposal by the Central Electricity Generating Board to construct a Pressurised Water Reactor nuclear power station at Sizewell, Suffolk, conducted by Sir Frank Layfield QC, between January 1983 and March 1985.

The series includes indexed transcripts of the proceedings, evidence, statements and supporting documents. The report of the inquiry, published on 26 January 1987, and a summary can be found in EG 2/2800-2808.

AIMS A multi-group, one dimensional diffussion equation code

AGR Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

BNES British Nuclear Energy Society Journal

BNFL British Nuclear Fuels Ltd

CEC Comission of European Communities

CEGB Central Electricity Generating Board

COCO Containment Pressure Analysis Code

DEn Department of Energy

DNB Departure from Nucleate Boiling

EC Electricity Council

ECC Electricity Consumer Council

EURATOM European Atomic Energy Community

FOE Friends of the Earth

GEC General Electric Company

HSC Health and Safety Commission

HSE Health and Safety Executive

IAEA International Atomic Energy Authority

ICRP International Commission on Radiological Protection

LOCA Loss of Coolant Accident

LRTAP Long Range Transport of Air Pollutants

LWR Light Water Reactor

MARCH Meltdown Accident Response Characteristics

MITI Ministry of International Trade and Industry

NCB National Coal Board

NEDO National Economic Development Office

NDT Non-Destructive Testing

NERC Natural Environment Research Council

NNC National Nuclear Corporation

NPP Nuclear Power Plants

NII Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

NRPB National Radiological Protection Board

NSSS meaning unknown

NTIS National Technical Information Service

NUREG Nuclear Regulatory Commission, US

OAQPS Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

OPCS Office of Population Censuses and Surveys

OPEC Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

OTA Office of Technology Assessment

PMT Project Management Team

PQ Parliamentary Question

PWR Pressure Water Reactor

RTZ Rio Tinto Zinc

R&D Research and Development

SGHWR Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor

UN United Nations

USAEC US Atomic Energy Commission

WEC World Energy Conference

Public Record(s)

English

2808 files and volumes

Open

Topics

Litigation

Nuclear energy

Electricity

On 30 January 1981 the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) applied to the Secretary of State for Energy for consent under Section 2 of the Electric Lighting Act 1909, as amended, for the construction of a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) nuclear power station, Sizewell B, next to an existing nuclear power station near Sizewell, in Suffolk, and for a direction under Section 40 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971 that planning permission for the development be deemed to be granted.

Following objections from the Suffolk County Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council and others, the Secretary of State appointed Sir Frank Layfield, QC, to conduct a public inquiry into the CEGB's applications under Section 34(1) of the Electricity Act 1957. Sir Christopher Foster MA, Professor W B Hall, FEng, FIMechE, and Dr J Vennart, CBE, DSc, CPhys, PInstP were appointed as Assessors to assist the Inspector; and Professor J M Alexander DSc(Eng), FEng, FIMechE was appointed in November 1983 to advise on the engineering aspects of the transport of spent nuclear fuel.

On 11 June 1982 a statement was published under Rule 5(1) of the Electricity Generating Stations and Overhead Lines (Inquiries Procedure) Rule 1981 setting out the points which seemed likely to the Secretary of State to be relevant to his consideration of the CEGB's applications. The statement repeated the terms of the Secretary of State's announcement on 22 July 1982 and said that:

"In considering whether the proposed power station should proceed he will take into account the economic, environmental and safety aspect which would be involved, as well as planning aspects. On the information so far available to the Secretary of State, it appears that the following points will be relevant:

(a) the Central Electricity Generating Board's requirement for the power station in terms of the need for secure and economic electricity supply and having regard to the Government's long-term energy policy;

(b) the safety features relevant to the design, construction and operation of the station and in particular the views of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate as the licensing authority;

(c) the arrangements for waste management, in the light of the views of the authorising Departments;

(d) the implications of the proposed development (including both construction and operation) for:i agriculture and fisheries;ii local employment;iii water supply and disposal;iv transport requirements;v coast protection;vi housing and public services generally;vii local amenities and in particular areas of special landscape value or nature conservation interest".

The Inquiry was opened by the Inspector, Sir Frank Layfield, QC on 11 January 1983 and sat for 340 days, mainly at the Maltings, Snape, Suffolk. It closed on 7 March 1985. The Inspector delivered the bulk of his report to the Secretary of State on 5 December 1986. The remaining sections were delivered by 13 January 1987.