Nationally significant infrastructure projects | BETA

Information on potential strike action affecting waste and recycling services 12-18 June and 26 June-9 July.

Nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIP) are large projects such as power stations, pylon lines, railways, large wind farms, reservoirs, harbours, airports and sewerage treatment plants.

Applications for Development Consent Orders are submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination. They are decided by the Secretary of State. The council is a consultee to this process.

Each application is reviewed primarily against National Policy Statements covering matters such as energy, transport, water and waste, although local policy can also be relevant. We have policy in place in both our adopted Core Strategy and Policies Sites and Places Plan.

Before submitting an application for consent, developers must show they have consulted with the right people and organisations and that their views have been considered. Both the council and local communities are consulted.

Active projects in South Gloucestershire

There are two nationally significant infrastructure projects active in South Gloucestershire:

the nomination of Oldbury to host the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s proposed fusion power plant
Hinkley Point C connection project

We are also consulted on projects in adjacent local authority areas.

Severn Edge nomination to host a world leading fusion power plant

The large site next to the existing power station at Oldbury which is nominated by government as being potentially suitable for a new nuclear power station has been nominated to host the UK Atomic Energy Authority’s world leading fusion power plant (known as STEP). The plant would also make best use of existing infrastructure at the existing Magnox site next door.

The Severn Edge nomination proposes to host the fusion power plant associated research, development and related facilities next to the existing Magnox station at Oldbury, while education, training and skills facilities and related businesses would be located at the nearby Berkeley site. The nomination was made by Western Gateway in recognition of the wide ranging benefits that this project could bring both locally and across a much wider area and into South Wales.

For further information on fusion technology and the STEP siting process you can go to the UK Atomic Energy Authority website. You can also find out more about the Severn Edge shortlisting in our press release.

Horizon Nuclear Power Ltd, owned by Hitachi, own two sites that were proposed for large-scale new nuclear power stations at Oldbury and Wylfa on the Isle of Anglesey. Horizon has now withdrawn these proposals

In the meantime, Horizon have committed to being a good neighbour and responsible land owner, and to maintaining contact with local communities and the council. Further information is available on Horizon Nuclear Power’s website.

The council is a member of the Local Government Association Special Interest Group, for local authorities that are proposed to host new nuclear power stations (New Nuclear Local Authorities Group or NNLAG). This group enables the sharing of knowledge, experience and best practice and provides a mechanism for making representations to Government on the development of such projects. In January 2020, NNLAG published an independent study by Oxford Brookes University on the impacts of the early stages of construction of the Hinkley Point C new nuclear power station. This study is intended to help local government and other stakeholders to work with developers, to plan and implement such projects so that opportunities and benefits are maximised and negative impacts are minimised.

You can read our previous responses to consultations about nuclear proposals:

Hinkley Point C connection project

The Hinkley C connection Project will provide a new high voltage grid connection to the proposed new build nuclear power station at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. Although the majority of works are in other local authority areas, this scheme includes a relatively short stretch of new pylon line running through the Enterprise Area at Severnside in South Gloucestershire, before linking to the existing Seabank Power station.

National Grid promoted the project and the Secretary of State gave consent on 19 January 2016. Further information is available on the National Grid’s Hinkley Connections website.

Our role during the planning stages was as a consultee on the project. Working with other affected councils and the National Grid throughout the pre-application and examination stages of the project, we sought to ensure that impacts of the project on our communities, businesses and environment and the wider Severnside Enterprise Area are minimised.

Our current role is in discharging requirements that are relevant to South Gloucestershire and attached to the Development Consent Order. Discharge of Requirement applications made by the National Grid to South Gloucestershire Council, and both the applications and decisions on these are available by searching Public Access, our planning applications website.

Working arrangements for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects

At the start of any pre-application involvement with the project promoter, we promote the use of Planning Performance Agreements (PPA) to ensure we have the necessary resource in place to service these large and complex projects.

The PPA sets out working arrangements and ensures an efficient project managed approach to the work. It also ensures that the project promoter provides resource to cover additional work that we may need to do in assessing and advising on matters such as planning, design, impact assessment and mitigation.

The signing of a PPA does not bind us to any future decisions or recommendations. The documents include specific commitments that we will act independently, impartially, and in accordance with our statutory duties at all times.

We have one current Planning Performance Agreement in place at the present time for the implementation phase of the Hinkley C Connections Project.

For Oldbury we have a Shadow PPA in place. Once signed off the PPA will be published here.

Fees and charges for NSIPs

These are approved annually by Executive Member decision. Following a non-rechargeable introductory meeting, our charges for the provision of pre-application, post submission or post consent advice and services for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects will be either:

as set out in a Planning Performance Agreement or
at standard hourly rates for officer time or
as set out in consented NSIP documentation