Court of Appeal hearing into Sizewell C set to begin

Today, the Court of Appeal will commence a legal hearing to scrutinize the decision regarding the approval of the new Sizewell C nuclear power station.

Opponents of the dual reactor development are challenging a High Court ruling that denied a judicial review of the decision by then business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to greenlight the power station in July 2022.

The appeal centres around the question of whether a desalination plant is necessary to ensure a continuous water supply for the power station. Campaigners from Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) argue that the environmental impact of the plant was omitted from the power station’s planning application and, as a result, was neither assessed nor considered during the approval process.

However, Lord Justice Coulson of the Court of Appeal has determined that TASC’s arguments regarding the desalination plant warrant further examination. He cited the appeal’s “real prospect of success,” citing TASC’s concerns about the need for a water supply and the fact that Mr. Kwarteng granted permission against the advice of the planning Examining Authority