Coddenham Parish Council
Update 16 January 2024
Construction of the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk has moved a step closer after a Development Consent Order (DCO) was officially triggered. Building permission was granted in July 2022 with a number of conditions set, which developers said had now been met.
Commencing formal construction will activate a £250m package of funding for the local community, which would "become available in phases during the construction phase of the project". This funding includes £23m for community projects, £100m for the environment, £12m to support local tourism, and a £12m housing fund to boost private housing and tourist accommodation. It is anticipated that Sizewell C will deliver 1,500 apprenticeships and support thousands of jobs across the country, with at least one-third of the peak construction workforce of 7,900 coming from the local area.
To ensure local people continue to have their say on the project during construction, new Sizewell C Forums have launched so that residents can discuss key issues with the project team. There are four main forums, chaired independently, covering all the main project-related topics relevant to the community. Parish and town councils will represent the community at the forums, and local people can attend the meetings as observers.
Update 26 July 2023
The parish council hosted Michelle Emmerson-Grey, a Coddenham resident, and Zoe Botten from the Sizewell C Project Community Relations team on 25 July at The Coddenham Centre to which all residents were invited. They provided an update on the strategies and commitments provided by the Project to ensure that all Project traffic uses main arterial routes and does not use the B1078 through Coddenham.
A copy of the Presentation slides is attached, together with:
The Freight Management Strategy which details the Project's plans to deliver 60% of materials by Rail and Sea, with 40% by road and confirms the route for HGV (>3.5T) deliveries to report to the Freight Management Facility at the A12/A14 Seven Hills junction at Nacton, before proceeding along the permitted route north on the A12. Changes in the transport strategy to 60% delivery by rail and sea reduced the number of HGVs at the peak of construction (approximately year seven) by 150 per day, to limits of 350 HGVs per day – with 700 journeys (there and back) on the A12. No HGVs will be authorised to travel on the B1078.
(For information. Further to the discussions regarding consideration of the Freight Management Site locations, during the site selection process, four sites were considered to the east of the Orwell bridge and two sites were put forward by the local authorities to the west of the Orwell bridge. The assessment of the alternatives is summarised in the relevant Environmental Statement. The Freight Management site has been selected on the East side of the Orwell Bridge for several reasons, including consultation feedback from the Port regarding Operation Stack (when the bridge is closed), the Police and Highways. With Felixstowe on the East side of the Freight Management Facility, this avoids the potential onward effect of congestion in Ipswich and Kesgrave. Should Operation Stack be activated, the facility has parking for 150 HGVs. The HGVs to the Freight Management Facility are an estimated increase of 2% of current traffic at the busiest day at peak).
The Traffic Incident Management Plan details the intentions in the event of traffic issues on the A12, and the closure of the Orwell Bridge and co-ordination with Operation Stack.
The Construction Worker Travel Plan shares full details of the intentions of Project workers commuting to and from the site, including the facilities at the park and rides and enforcement.
The Consolidated Transport Assessment details the modelled impact on local roads and the plans for signage at the A140/B1078 junction.
The Worker Code of Conduct purpose is covered in the Community Safety Management Plan. The final Worker Code of Conduct is currently being finalised.
The Deed of Obligation details the commitments made for mitigations to areas such as tourism, traffic, blue light services etc., impacted by the Project.
The latest socio-economic report from the Hinckley Point C Project, from which many lessons learned have been taken by the Sizewell C team and which provides updates on the legacy projects created.
As is clear from the attached documents, although the Project is taking reasonable and comprehensive steps to avoid Project traffic using the B1078 and surrounding roads, a risk remains. This will be taken into account alongside ongoing discussions with Suffolk County Council and the Project team should the Sizewell C Project proceed.
For updates on progress with the project please see: Home - Sizewell C Works Tracker (szcworkstracker.co.uk)
(26-Jul-23)
