Report of the Chairman of Executive Board.

The Leader of the Council presented Members with his report, pages 31 to 34 of the Agenda refer.

Following which, the Leader read out an addition to his report as follows: ‘

Community Partnership work relating to the proposal to site a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) on the Lincolnshire coast.

‘In 2021, ELDC was invited by Radio Active Waste Management (now Nuclear Waste Services) to join a Working Group to explore whether the former Gas Terminal at Theddlethorpe would be a suitable location for a GDF.  Lincolnshire County Council had already accepted the same invitation.

Constitutionally, this was a decision for the Executive to make.  Recognising the potential and wide-ranging impact of such a proposal, the Overview Committee was asked to consider the invitation as part of a pre-Decision scrutiny.  The outcome of which was fed back to the Executive Board that being, we should engage in the process.  That meeting took place on the 19th October 2021.  This was a public meeting and the minutes are available online. 

We entered the process in good faith believing it was better to be involved and influencing a potential major infrastructure development that could have far ranging impacts, both positive and negative, for our residents and communities. 

This whole process is regulated and managed according to government policy.  Recognising that the timescales for a Test of Public Support (ToPS) were overly lengthy both Cllr Hill and myself as leaders of the Relevant Principal Local Authorities directed that the ToPS should happen by 2027.

While the search area has been named, for a ToPS to happen the Potential Host Community (PHC) needs to be identified.  That will only happen once the full impact of all the infrastructure associated with a potential GDF is established and further geological investigation is undertaken.  The PHC could take in more wards of the district if infrastructure requirements extend beyond the wards already affected. 

It is for the Community Partnership to establish the boundaries of the PHC.  Only then can a ToPS take place.  The Community Partnership determine the methodology of the ToPS. 

For the whole process to be halted the policy allows for a Right of Withdrawal.  It would need both Principal Authorities on the Community Partnership to invoke the Right of Withdrawal.   No single principle local authority would be able to invoke the Right of Withdrawal.  ELDC cannot act alone in this. 

The only way that ELDC can act unilaterally, is by leaving the Community Partnership entirely so that we are no longer involved in the process.  LCC would still be able to represent the communities and we would be blind to the activities and actions of the Community Partnership.

That would be concerning as at this point in time, the consultation and engagement process has not been effective or informative in the way we had anticipated or hoped for. 

I would go further - all that the Community Partnership and NWS have achieved so faris to unnecessarily antagonise our residents and communities. 

Indeed, NWS  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29