TNAG-1657-FCO40-2305-Daya-Bay-nuclear-power-station-project-safety-concerns-in-Ho-1987 — Page 116

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.