Supreme Court refuses appeal by anti-Sizewell C campaigners

By Nick Osbourne | Published on 14 May 2024 | 2 min read

Sizewell C has welcomed a decision by the Supreme Court to reject a case brought by a Suffolk campaign group opposed to the new nuclear power station.

Judges said that they were refusing permission for an appeal by Together Against Sizewell C (TASC) after their claims against the Government were dismissed in December last year.

TASC had challenged the Government’s decision to give planning permission for the power station in July 2022. Among their claims, the campaign group argued that the Secretary of State was wrong to grant a Development Consent Order (DCO) without first assessing the environmental impact of proposals for Sizewell C’s water supply.

Three Supreme Court judges said that the latest claims did not raise an arguable point of law. Their decision ends legal action which was first launched in August 2022. Since then, the group’s arguments have been rejected in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and now the Supreme Court.

Sizewell C Managing Director Julia Pyke said: “We are delighted that the claims have been comprehensively rejected in the courts and that this long-running legal action is now at an end.

“We know the majority of East Suffolk residents support our project and are looking forward to the jobs and development opportunities it will bring. We will continue to listen closely to local communities and we are as determined as ever to ensure that Sizewell C delivers for them.”

Last week, Sizewell C was granted a nuclear site licence in a significant step forward for the project. Earthworks at the site are now underway and a process to raise private equity from investors continues to make good progress. The project is anticipating taking a Final Investment Decision in the coming months.

Posted by Nick Osbourne

Nick is Sizewell C's Media Relations Manager