Sizewell C is a proposed nuclear power station in Suffolk that is being developed by an 80:20 joint venture of EDF of France with China General Nuclear. The application for a development consent order is currently being examined by the Planning Inspectorate.
The interactive environmental statement (IES) has been developed by one of EDF's consultants, Aecom, which describes its creation as “the largest, most complex and ambitious digital environmental statement seen in the UK”.
It is designed to help interested parties navigate their way through the full 40,000-pages of official environmental statements (ES). It comes after the project has already been through four stages of public consultation
The IES for Sizewell C is presented as a website with eight standalone digital environmental statements – one for each of Sizewell C’s development sites.
Aecom says that complex infrastructure projects can sometimes struggle with stakeholder engagement, particularly the communication of complex environmental information. With this approach it says, it hopes “to create and maintain positive relationships with the community and other relevant stakeholders”.
Ross Stewart, Aecom’s principal environmental scientist, said: "Aecom’s digital reporting platform will help simplify large amounts of data – making it more accessible for users. This approach enables individuals to better understand and appreciate potential interactions of the project with the environment and their local communities.”
Sizewell C programme manager Richard Bull said: “The interactive environment statement and other online tools we are providing will make our plans as accessible as possible to ensure people can fully engage in the planning process. This is important as Sizewell C will deliver a massive boost to the east of England and beyond in terms of jobs, skills, training and business contracts and help the UK reach strict climate change targets.”
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