OREANDA-NEWS. The Progress Power Station located on the Eye Airfield Industrial Estate, mid Suffolk and the Hirwaun gas-fired power station, located on the Hirwaun Industrial Estate in South Wales, both have a nominal generating capacity of up to 299 MW.

The Progress Power Station application is the 40th Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project application to be given development consent following examination by The Planning Inspectorate. The Hirwaun Power Station application is the 41st.

The decisions announced today support the recommendations made by the Planning Inspectorate and follows an examination process which met all the statutory timescales laid down in The Planning Act 2008 (as amended by The Localism Act 2011).

Examination of the applications began within one day of each other. Hirwaun Power Station on 24 July 2014 and Progress Power on the 25 July 2014. Following a six month examination during which the public, statutory consultees and interested parties were given the opportunity to give evidence to the Examining Authority, a recommendation was made to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on 23 April and 24 April 2015 respectively.

In total there are 8 gas fired power station applications which have been examined and given development consent, or are currently in the process of being examined under the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project regime.

The Planning Inspectorate’s Chief Executive, Simon Ridley, said:

These applications for nationally significant infrastructure projects are the 40th and 41st to be examined by The Planning Inspectorate. The examinations were undertaken separately, with each having its own appointed Examining Authority, and completed within the statutory timescales laid down in the Planning Act 2008.

Local people, the local authority and other interested parties were able to participate in the 6 month long examinations. This, together with the certainty of knowing when a decision will be made, provides confidence in the planning process and aids the infrastructure improvements this country needs to secure its energy and future economic growth.

The decision, the recommendation made by the Examining Authority to the Secretary of State and the evidence considered by the Examining Authority in reaching its recommendation is publicly available on the National Infrastructure Planning website.