Press Release                                                                           22 April 2012                 

Finance for Hinkley C starts to wobble while EDF continue to destroy Somerset countryside

EDF continue to destroy hedgerows, cut down trees and dig up the land, regardless of having no planning permission to build the nuclear power station and their financing of the whole project starting to crumble.

According to an authoritative report in today's Financial Times (1), the power company Centrica, owner of British Gas, is threatening to abandon its investment in Hinkley C     because the economics don't stack up. 

While visiting Hinkley Point today campaigners from Stop Hinkley were shocked to see that most of the ancient hedgerows were destroyed last week.

The conditions in the Ecological and Monitoring Plan (2) agreed between EDF and West
Somerset Council state:
"Vegetation clearance would take place outside of the breeding season for all of the bird species that have been recorded breeding within the site - if this is not possible, clearance would only be undertaken once surveys have shown that any breeding birds have fledged from the areas to be cleared"

Katy Attwater a Stop Hinkley campaigner said," I visited the area only a few weeks ago and it was obvious that Slylarks and many other birds were starting to build their nests in the fields, the hedgerows and the trees.  I sent a report to EDF, WSC and the Wildlife Officer for Avon and Somerset Constabulary.  EDF didn't respond to me, and neither the WSC or the Police took any action.  Why was it not possible to delay this work until October?  EDF usually miss their deadlines by years; what difference would a few months have made?"

"The most heart breaking thing is to see hedgerows that are obviously hundreds of years old wiped out in one week by EDF.  They are irreplaceable. This work was sanctioned by Natural England who also made no response to my report."

Ends/

For more information: Katy Attwater, Stop Hinkley Press Officer (07980 731896)

Notes:
1. http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2012/hinkley-cash-worries-21-04-12.php 

2. There is a 70 page Hinkley Point C Site Preparation Works Ecological Mitigation and Monitoring Plan January 2012.  Full details are on this link:
http://www.westsomerset.gov.uk/online-applications/files/96AC7570383CC3D91DDECE90EDAFAE7E/pdf/3_32_12_005-ECOLOGICAL_MITIGATION_AND_MONITORING_PLAN-12597.pdf