Hinkley Point C Connection
Project
Reflections on the consent process for
Nationally Significant Infrastructure
Projects
Joe Turner MRTPI
Introduction
 National Grid: what we do
 Infrastructure planning and the Planning Act 2008
 Our approach
 Hinkley Point C Connection project
 Alternatives for the decision maker
 Mendip Hills AONB and visual amenity
 Stakeholder engagement
 Securing mitigation
 Conclusions
2
National Grid: what we do…
Electricity transmission
Gas transmission
Gas distribution
Interconnectors
3
Planning Act 2008 – infrastructure planning
Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (England & Wales)
Infrastructure Planning Commission
Independent decision-making body to consider & grant consents (BUT now abolished)
National Policy Statements
Six for energy – Designated by government in July 2011
Development Consent Order
Concept of a single consent
Mandatory pre-application consultation
Previously not mandatory; now mandatory front-loaded process
Concept of gaining ‘consensus’ and dealing with objectors before submission
Primarily a written process
Inquisitorial not adversarial hearings
4
NSIPs in the South West
Project
Developer
Status
Hinkley Point C Connection
National Grid
Decided (granted)
Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station
NNB Generation (EDF)
Decided (granted)
A30 Temple – Higher Carblake
Improvement
Cornwall Council
Decided (granted)
Bere Alston – Tavistock Rail
Reinstatement
Devon County Council
Pre-application
Portishead Branch Line – MetroWest
Phase 1
North Somerset Council
Pre-application
Oldbury New Nuclear Power Station
Horizon Nuclear Power
Pre-application
Avon Power Station
Scottish Power
Pre-application
West Somerset Tidal Lagoon
Longbay Seapower
Pre-application
Seabank 3 CCGT
SSE
Pre-application
5
National Grid’s approach
PLANNING ACT 2008 /
LOCALISM ACT 2011
NATIONAL POLICY
STATEMENTS
SQSS
ELECTRICITY
ACT obligations
TRANSMISSION
LICENCE obligations
NEED CASE for new infrastructure established
STRATEGIC OPTIONS identified / broad environmental appraisal
ROUTE CORRIDOR studies / desktop environmental surveys and site visits
DESIGN AND
ROUTEING
APPROACH
DETAILED ROUTE ALIGNMENT developed / full Environmental Impact Assessment and surveys
CONTINUING
CONSULTATION
and
ENGAGEMENT
(key stakeholders
and public)
3
years
APPLICATION FOR DEVELOPMENT CONSENT prepared
12-18 MONTH EXAMINATION / DECISION PERIOD BY PLANNING INSPECTORATE
6
Project overview
The DCO provides powers for…
• 400kV overhead line of approx.
48.5km;
• 400kV underground cables of
approx. 8.5km through Mendip Hills
AONB;
• three 400kV cable sealing end
compounds;
• New Sandford 400/132kV
substation;
• extension of existing Seabank 400kV
substation;
• removal of existing 132kV overhead
lines and construction of
replacement 132kV overhead lines
and underground cables; and
• extensions or other changes to
existing 132kV substations at
Churchill, Portishead, Avonmouth
and Seabank.
7
The ‘T pylon’

Winner of Pylon Design
Competition jointly arranged by
RIBA, DECC and National Grid

Designed by Bystrup

Typically 30-35m tall – shorter
than a typical lattice pylon (c.
50m)

Training line constructed at
National Grid training centre in
2015

Proposed for majority of Hinkley
Point C Connection project
400kV overhead line sections
Key dates in decision process
Date
Milestone
28 May 2014
Application submitted by National Grid
19 June 2014
Application accepted by Planning Inspectorate
12 July – 26 August
2014
Period for registration as interested party (‘relevant representations’)
28 November 2014
Notification of preliminary meeting (‘Rule 6’ letter)
19 January 2015
Preliminary meeting; examination opens
29 January 2015
Examination timetable published (‘Rule 8’ letter)
19 July 2015
Examination closes
19 October 2015
Examining Authority (ExA) issued report to Secretary of State (SoS)
19 January 2016
SoS issued decision letter agreeing with ExA recommendations
9 February 2016
DCO comes into legal force
2 March 2016
Judicial review deadline; deadline for applications for corrections to DCO
9
Undergrounding of existing WPD
line (Option B only)
Portishead
substation
Option B
Option A
Removal of
existing WPD
lines
Undergrounding of
existing WPD line
Option A vs
Option B
Undergrounding and the AONB
Substantial weight accorded to the AONB in
accordance with EN-1 para. 5.9.9…
400kV underground cables
South of Mendips SEC
“The proposed development falls partly inside the nationally
designated area of the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding
Natural Beauty (the AONB), for which the decision maker is
to give substantial weight to the conservation of natural
beauty and landscape” [ExA Report para. 5.9.4]
‘Serious concerns’ about treatment of AONB
only addressed by submission of Design
Approach during examination…
The Panel is satisfied that the mitigation secured through the
updated Design Approach document and embedded
landscape planting … would sufficiently alleviate what were,
initially, serious concerns about the potential adverse
landscape and visual effects of the CSE compound in this
location [ExA Report 5.9.37]
Engaging stakeholders
Stakeholder mapping
Coordination of relationships (land, engineering, legal drafting,
environmental)
- Are we talking to the right people?
- Every stakeholder needs an ‘owner’
Early preparation of SoCG (where possible?)
Clear objectives
Narrowing issues? Withdrawal of reps? Signed agreements?
Need to help stakeholders engage
-
Make it easy for them
Raising awareness of process
12
Securing mitigation
Initial
Design
S42 Design
Freeze
Submission
Design Freeze
Consultation & engagement
with Stakeholders
EIA
Develop mitigation
Examination
Response to
LIR and reps
Environmental
Statement
CEMP
Draft DCO Requirements
Discuss S106 commitments
Update CEMP
Develop
requirements
Finalise S106
13
Conclusions
 Delivering certainty for promoters
 Engaging communities and stakeholders
 Challenges of ‘frontloading’ – flexibility
 A ‘one stop shop’?
 A new way of making decisions
 Highly resource intensive
14