Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station

The odds were stacked against us though, as the Sizewell site – which includes existing nuclear power stations: Sizewell A (currently in the process of being decommissioned), and Sizewell B – had already been identified by the Government as one of a handful of sites earmarked for new nuclear power stations. Despite our efforts the proposals for Sizewell C were approved by the Government. But, working with Suffolk Wildlife Trust and others,  we did secure a number of improvements to the scheme, including additional measures to help protect priority wildlife affected by the development.

Sizewell C power station has an approximate 12-year construction phase. During that time we will continue to advise the developer on the detailed methods and measures to protect wildlife, in order to minimise as much as possible the impacts of the project on RSPB Minsmere and other precious nature conservation sites in the area.

RSPB Minsmere is a very special place, famed internationally as an iconic site for wildlife conservation.

More than 6,000 different animals, plants and fungi have been recorded at Minsmere – more than on any other RSPB reserve and amongst the highest number of any nature reserve in the UK. Minsmere’s habitats include four of national conservation priority: reedbeds, lowland wet grassland, shingle vegetation and lowland heath. These habitats support a wide range of bird, plant and invertebrate populations of international conservation importance.

Among the diverse wildlife are nationally important populations of Bittern, Marsh Harrier and Avocet. Other wildlife in the wetlands include Otters, Water Voles, Kingfishers, specialist wetland plants and many rare dragonflies and other invertebrates. Across the heathland there are many rare species making a home, including Nightjars, Woodlarks, Dartford Warblers, Adders, Natterjack Toads and Silver-Studded Blue butterflies.

As well as its importance to today's wildlife, Minsmere has played a significant role in wildlife conservation throughout the years. Since it first became an RSPB nature reserve in 1947, the reserve has been a springboard for the recovery of Bitterns and Marsh Harriers in the UK and, alongside RSPB Havergate Island a few miles down the coast, Minsmere ensured the successful return of breeding Avocets to the UK after an absence of more than 100 years.

RSPB Minsmere forms part of a wider area found within the Suffolk Coast, recognised for its value for wildlife, and protected by the following national and international nature conservation designations:

• The Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) contains a complex of habitats, notably mudflats, shingle beach, reedbeds, heathland and grazing marsh and supports populations of important birds, including Bearded Tit, Cetti's warbler and Shoveler, scarce plants such as Whorled Water Milfoil and a number of rare wetland moths.
• The Minsmere to Walberswick Special Protection Area (SPA) is designated for its breeding bird populations, including Bittern, Marsh Harrier, Avocet, Little Tern, Nightjar, Woodlark and several wildfowl species. It is also designated for its wintering birds, such as Hen Harrier and Bittern.
• The Minsmere/Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is designated for its coastal and dry heathland habitats.
• The Minsmere/Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Ramsar Wetland site is designated for its variety of marine, freshwater, marshland and associated habitats. It also supports a number of rare plants, such as Red-Tipped Cudweed, invertebrates including the Narrow-Mouthed Whorl Snail, and important rare breeding birds such as Teal and Avocet.

 

We want to ensure these important sites are safeguarded for people and wildlife.

In January 2019, EDF Energy opened the Stage 3 public consultation on their proposals for Sizewell C. We responded to the consultation in detail after assessing the environmental information and evidence provided by EDF in the consultation documents.

An incredible 20,419 of you added your own response to the consultation by signing our Love Minsmere e-petition. We can’t thank you enough for adding your voice to this campaign.

A further unscheduled fourth and final stage of consultation ran between July and September 2019.

In response to this final consultation we launched the Love Minsmere Festival – which saw over 1000 of you gathered on Whin Hill, site of the BBC Springwatch studio, and one of the reserve’s most amazing viewpoints, collectively declaring your love for Minsmere. You helped form an outline of the Love Minsmere love heart with Sizewell in the background, sending a visual message to EDF that the reserve must be protected.

Then, in November 2020 Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin launched the RSPB’s and Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s new #LoveMinsmere e-action during a live online event, #LoveMinsmere Live. We called on supporters to take make nature’s voice stronger in the planning process.

An amazing 104,836 people stepped up and signed our e-action - this helped to show the Planning Inspectorate how many of us Love Minsmere.

The RSPB raised concerns that Sizewell C has the potential to have a major adverse environmental impact on an area of the Suffolk Coast recognised for its value for wildlife and protected by a range of national and international nature conservation designations.

We made it clear that we do not believe that this is a suitable location for the planned development. As highlighted in the Government’s National Policy Statement for Nuclear Power Generation (EN-6), Sizewell C could have detrimental impacts on internationally and nationally important landscapes, habitats and species of the Suffolk coast and at RSPB Minsmere nature reserve.

Based on the information presented in the application and throughout the Examination, our main concerns related to the following key areas:

• Coastal processes. Concern that the beach landing facility and hard coastal defence feature could have significant impacts on coastal processes affecting the Minsmere-Walberswick designated wildlife sites.
• Hydrology. Potential for significant impacts on water quality and water movement affecting the Minsmere-Walberswick designated wildlife sites and the Sizewell Marshes SSSI.
• Noise and visual disturbance. Concern about effects on Marsh Harriers and waterbirds of the Minsmere-Walberswick designated wildlife sites
• Loss of designated wildlife sites. Concern about the level of land-take from Sizewell Marshes SSSI and the lack of justification for this. Notwithstanding our concerns, the RSPB provided ecological input to plans for compensatory habitats.
• Recreational pressure. Concern that footpath closures and diversions during construction and the proximity of the workers’ campus could result in increased trampling of sensitive wildlife sites. During the Examination, mitigation was proposed to address these issues.
• Marine ecology. Concern about thermal and chemical discharges and reduction in fish prey due to cooling system impacts affecting Red-Throated Divers and terns from the Outer Thames Estuary SPA. Mitigation was proposed for impacts of shipping disturbance to Red-Throated Divers.
• Other impacts. Other effects on designated wildlife sites including on air quality and protected species, and effects on visitors to RSPB Minsmere.
• Overarching concern that the applicant did not properly assessed the total impacts of the project – i.e. the combined total effects of all the above impacts on important wildlife sites and species.

 

Our representations to the Examination of the Sizewell C Development Consent Order application are available to view on the Planning Inspectorate website. The Examination closed on 14 October 2021.

The Sizewell C project was consented on 20 July 2022 and construction started in January 2024. 

Beccy Speight, Chief Executive Officer RSPB, said

“It is extremely disappointing to learn that the Government has approved plans for Sizewell C, the proposed new nuclear power station that will affect our nature reserve at Minsmere in Suffolk. 

“We are dismayed that the decision by this interim Government goes against the advice of the Examiners and their own experts in this matter. 

“The construction of the proposed development will be damaging and it has been granted with insufficient consideration for the effects on nature as described by the government’s own experts. This is a ludicrous decision for an interim government to make. 

“We will be fully reviewing the reasons for the decision and will consider our options. We thank everyone who has supported and worked with us throughout the planning process and we will continue to do all we can for Minsmere and Suffolk’s important wildlife.” 

Following the decision to approve the project, the RSPB continues to comment on the detailed methods and mitigation for the scheme, where it has opportunity to do so, to try to minimise the impacts of the project on RSPB Minsmere and other nature conservation sites.  Ultimately, we would have preferred for the project not to be approved, but we are now keen to ensure that where possible the project has the least impact on nature.

• January 2024  Construction of Sizewell C commenced.
• 1 September 2022  The RSPB announced its intention to apply for a Judicial Review in relation to the Sizewell C decision, where a judge reviews the process by which and lawfulness of a decision made by a public body. Unfortunately, we were informed that our paperwork was submitted a day too late so was out of time. But we remain committed to getting the best possible outcome for nature and will continue to monitor and challenge, where appropriate, the progression of Sizewell C.
• 20 July 2022  The Government announced the decision to approve the application to build Sizewell C.
• 25 May 2022  Deadline for Secretary of State to make the decision.
• 19 May 2022  RSPB staff demonstrated outside the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in London, protesting against the building of Sizewell C.
• 14 October 2021  The Examination concluded.
• 2 June 2021  The RSPB and Suffolk Wildlife Trust submitted our Written Representations to the Planning Inspectorate, detailing our key areas of concern.
• 21 April 2021  The Examination Authority accepted the Applicant’s 15 changes to the application.
• 15 April 2021  The Examination started.
• 18 November to 18 December 2020  The change application public consultation ran for 4 weeks from 18 November 2020.
• 30 September 2020  Registration to become an interested party closed. We submitted our Relevant Representation, a summary of our key areas of concern, in order to register as an Interested Party allowing us to take part in the Examination.
• 24 June 2020  EDF’s application for a Development Consent Order was accepted by the Planning Inspectorate for further examination. This initiated the pre-examination stage. During this period, interested parties can contribute their views, either in writing or by attending hearings. Although there is no statutory timescale for this stage of the process, it often takes around three months. More details can be found here.
• 27 May 2020  EDF submitted its Development Consent Order application for Sizewell C to the Planning Inspectorate.
• October 2019 – May 2020  EDF analysed consultation feedback and developed final proposals.
• 18 July – 27 September 2019  The unexpected Stage 4 public consultation ran for 10 weeks from 18 July 2019.
• 4 January – 29 March 2019  The Stage 3 public consultation ran for 12 weeks from 4 January 2019.
• January 2017  We submitted our response to the Stage 2 public consultation. EDF’s consultation documents are available on their website.
• 2015  The RSPB contributed to the Evidence Plan for the proposal. This formed part of the process of assessing potential impacts on internationally designated wildlife sites and focuses on identifying the evidence required for this assessment prior to an application being made.
• February 2012  We responded to the Stage 1 consultation and the outline plans contained within it. We raised concerns about a number of possible environmental impacts and requested more information to determine our position.
• 2011 Pre-application stage began. The pre-application stage ended when the plans were submitted for approval to the Planning Inspectorate in 2020.

Useful links:

Planning Inspectorate – Sizewell C case

Reserves affected:

RSPB Minsmere

Key species affected:

Bittern

Little Tern

Marsh Harrie