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Advice to Susan Goss

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Enquiry

From
Susan Goss
Date advice given
9 March 2012
Enquiry type
Email

Would it assist the host parish of Stogursey and the hamlets to be similarly recognised as a ?Principle Issue? if we were also permitted to send a delegation to lobby the IPC in person?

Advice given

I believe you are referring to meetings that took place between the IPC Casework team and Otterhampton PC, and possibly also Stockland Bristol PC, during the pre application period. If so, I can assure you that none of the Panel members were at these meetings or had even been appointed to the Hinkley project. The Panel was appointed at the end of January this year. I reiterate that the Panel of Commissioners and not the casework team made the initial assessment of principal issues.

These meetings were at the request of these Parish Councils and only procedural matters were discussed. The meeting notes are published on our website if you would like to look at them. There was certainly no lobbying going on and even if there had been I would have quickly put an end to it. The Casework team is not permitted to discuss the merits of an application with any party at any stage of the process. We are restricted to providing advice about the process.

Now that the application has been submitted your opportunity to put your views to the Panel will be at the Preliminary Meeting and during the examination. It would not be appropriate for the IPC casework team or the Panel to have meetings with any interested party outside of these fora. All contact between the Panel and interested parties will be in public to prevent any actual or perceived impropriety.

Your email and this response will be published on our website in accordance with section 51 of the Planning Act 2008 and our policy of openness and transparency.