- Date released
- 26 October 2020
- Request number
- 202010043
- Release of information under
- Freedom of Information Act 2000
Information requested
Please would you explain to me the meaning of a Nuclear Site Boundary. I live close to Sizewell A and B and the proposed SZC.
EDFE owns all the land on which SZB is built and is in part a Licensed Nuclear Site. Just referring to "the boundary" is meaningless unless there is a distinct line on a map. Therefore a question is this.
Is there a definitive map which shows the perimeter of the SZB licensed site? If so please may I see a copy.
The same goes for the proposed SZC. Will ONR define the Licensed Site with maps which are easily understood by members of the public.
EDFE own much land surrounding the two sites upon which these nuclear plants are built, or to be built, I would like to know just what the site boundaries are of either site and where the jurisdiction of the ONR ends.
Finally what buildings, equipment, work practices etc come under the umbrella of a Nuclear Site Licence? For instance is a Training Centre or a Visitors Centre included and what under what criteria is the licensing defined.
Information released
We aim to be as open as possible when answering requests for information. However, we consider some of the questions in your request are general enquiries about our work, and are not requests for information we hold under the FOIA. We have therefore processed your queries for the boundary maps for the Sizewell B licensed site and the proposed Sizewell C site as an FOI request.
This is because Section 84 of the FOIA defines information as “information recorded in any form”. Nevertheless, to be helpful as possible and in accordance with our duty to provide advice and assistance under section 16 of the FOIA, we have answered your questions in this response where we have been able to. We have therefore set out our responses to each of your questions in turn below.
1) Please would you explain to me the meaning of a Nuclear Site Boundary
Under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, nuclear reactors (and certain other types of nuclear installation) can only be installed and operated by an organisation that has been granted a ‘nuclear site licence’ in respect of that site. The location and extent of the licensed site is shown in a map which is a legal document attached to the nuclear site licence.
A nuclear site boundary is therefore the defined perimeter around the nuclear licensed site.
2) Is there a definitive map which shows the perimeter of the SZB licensed site? If so please may I see a copy
I confirm that under Section 1 of the FOIA, we hold the information related to this part of your request.
Please find attached to this response the map showing the licensed site area for the Sizewell B nuclear power station. The nuclear site licence area is marked in red as indicated by the map key.
3) The same goes for the proposed SZC
I confirm that under Section 1 of the FOIA, we hold the information related to this part of your request.
Please find attached to this response the map showing the proposed licensed site area for the intended Sizewell C nuclear power station. The nuclear site licence boundary is marked in green as indicated by the map key.
4) Finally what buildings, equipment, work practices etc come under the umbrella of a Nuclear Site Licence? For instance is a Training Centre or a Visitors Centre included and what under what criteria is the licensing defined.
ONR is the licensing body in Great Britain and grants licenses that each contain a set of 36 standard licence conditions, which the licence holder must comply with. One of those conditions (Licence Condition 2) requires the licence holder to mark the boundary of the licensed site area, and to make arrangements for preventing unauthorised access. This is usually achieved by the use of security fences that enclose all or most of the licensed site area. The licensed site area is only required to contain those parts of the nuclear installation that are important to nuclear safety.
The licence holder may choose to locate some buildings, such as training facilities, outside the licensed site, either adjacent to it or some distance away. Visitors centres are always located outside the site security fence. ONR’s website has a more detailed explanation of the nuclear site licensing process.
Exemptions applied
N/A
PIT (Public Interest Test) if applicable
N/A