Intro

In its November 2010 response to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee’s report, Radioactive Waste Management: a Further Update (March 2010), the UK Government committed to producing an annual report to Parliament, setting out progress in relation to the management of higher activity radioactive waste.

The seventh annual report sets out progress made in relation to the management of higher activity radioactive waste for the period April 2016 to March 2017.

This consultation seeks views on how communities should be engaged in a siting process for a Geological Disposal Facility for higher activity radioactive waste.

The proposals build on commitments set out in the 2014 White Paper ‘Implementing Geological Disposal’, in which the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive jointly set out an approach based on working with communities in England and Northern Ireland that are willing to participate in the siting process for a geological disposal facility. They relate to how communities should be engaged, how early community investment could be provided to communities that participate in the siting process, how a right of withdrawal could operate throughout the siting process, and how a test of public support could be carried out before construction and operation of a geological disposal facility.

The policy proposals being consulted on here apply to England and Northern Ireland only but anyone from across the UK can respond.

The Welsh Government is consulting in parallel on its policy for arrangements for engaging with communities in Wales in relation to the development of a Geological Disposal Facility. Although this is likely to be undertaken in parallel to the BEIS consultation, it will be a distinct process reflecting the unique characteristics of a siting process in Wales, including the different planning and local government systems and the Welsh language.

The purpose of this consultation is to gather views on whether the draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for Geological Disposal Infrastructure (GDF) provides an appropriate and effective framework for the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State to examine and make decisions on development consent applications for geological disposal infrastructure in England.

National Policy Statements set out the need for particular Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), and are required, under the Planning Act 2008, to undergo a period of public consultation before they are published.

This consultation applies to residents of England and Northern Ireland. If you live in Wales, the Welsh Government will be issuing a separate consultation on the 8 November. Both consultations are open for responses from outside the areas to which they relate.

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

• what the application is about
• how you can view the application documents
• when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

• whether to grant or refuse the application
• what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)