BACKGROUND
CONFIDENTIAL
13000
-
1
5. THE INQUIRY BEGAN IN JANUARY 1983 AND ENDED IN MARCH 1985
AFTER TAKING 340 DAYS OF EVIDENCE. THE APPLICATION IS
CONTROVERSIAL AND THE DECISION IS NOW LONG AWAITED. THE CEGB
DECIDED NOT TO SUBMIT FURTHER APPLICATIONS TO CONSTRUCT POWER
STATIONS UNTIL A DECISION WAS REACHED ON SIZEWELL. THE POWER
PLANT INDUSTRY HAS HAD NO DOMESTIC ORDERS FOR POWER STATIONS
SINCE THE 1970S AND HAS BEEN LOBBYING FOR A DECISION AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE SO THAT WORK CAN BEGIN ON SIZEWELL OR ALTERNATIVE
PROJECTS. IF THE GO-AHEAD WERE GIVEN IT WOULD MARK A MAJOR
NEW STAGE IN THE UK NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME WITH THE PROSPECT
OF ADDITIONAL PWR STATIONS TO FOLLOW, ALTHOUGH CEGB HAVE YET
MADE NO SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS.
6.
THE KEY CONCLUSIONS LIE IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY
SIR FRANK LAYFIELD (THE INSPECTOR) THAT QUOTE IF CONSENT IS TO BE
GIVEN TO SIZEWELL B, THE DISADVANTAGES OF RISK TO HEALTH AND SAFETY
AND OF ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE TO THE SIZEWELL LOCALITY MUST BE
OUTWEIGHED BY ANTICIPATED ECONOMIC BENEFITS FOR THE NATION.
THERE IS A NATIONAL INTEREST IN BUILDING A PWR: THAT NATIONAL
INTEREST AT BEST BE MET AT SIZEWELL B. THE CEGB HAS DISCHARGED
THE ONUS OF PROOF THAT NATIONAL NEED OVERRIDES THE LOCAL
INTEREST IN FAVOUR OF CONSERVATION. IN MY JUDGEMENT THE
EXPECTED NATIONAL ECONOMIC BENEFITS ARE SUFFICIENT TO JUSTIFY
THE RISKS THAT WOULD BE INCURRED UNQUOTE. SIR FRANK THEN
RECOMMENDS THAT QUOTE PURSUANT TO THE CEGB'S APPLICATIONS
OF JANUARY 1981, CONSENT AND DEEMED PLANNING PERMISSION FOR
A PWR POWER STATION, SIZEWELL B, SHOULD BE GRANTED EXCEPT THAT
DEEMED PLANNING PERMISSION SHOULD BE REFUSED FOR THE PROPOSED
SECOND ACCESS ROAD UNQUOTE. THE REPORT DOES, HOWEVER, INCLUDE
A NUMBER OF SUBSIDIARY RECOMMENDATIONS AND OTHER OBSERVATIONS
WHICH ARE NOT IN ALL CASES AS POSITIVE.
HOWE
FCO/WHITEHALL
4
CONFIDENTIAL
ADDITIONAL. GUIDANCE.