Hinkley C Connection Group Approved Minutes of Meeting – Thursday 24th October 2013

Maunsel Room, The Canalside, Marsh Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 6LQ

Invited Name Role Cllr Anne Fraser – Sedgemoor District Council Chair, Member Cllr Richard Burden – Sedgemoor District Council Member Cllr Bob Garner - North District Council Member Cllr Robert Griffin – South Gloucestershire Council Member Cllr Richard Parker - Compton Bishop Parish Member Alyn Jones - Somerset County Council PPA Board Andrew Goodchild – West Somerset Council PPA Board Valerie Moody - Somerset County Council Paul Sobczyk (PS) – Sedgemoor District Council PPA Project Manager & notes Vicky Banham (VB) – Sedgemoor District Council Observer Richard Walsh (RW) - National Grid PPA Board Peter Bryant (PB) – National Grid PPA Board

Apologies Received Name Role Cllr David Hall – Somerset County Council Member Cllr David Huxtable– Somerset County Council Member Cllr Matthew Riddle–South Gloucestershire Council Member Cllr Anne Harley - District Council Member Caroline Power – English Heritage Member Mark Funnell – National Trust Member Nikki Suri (NS)- National Grid Project Manager

Apologies resulting from closure of the M5 Name Role Doug Bamsey (DB) – Sedgemoor District Council SDC Director and PPA Board Chris Ambrose, Wraxall and Parish Council Member Simon Robertshaw – English Heritage Member Richard Matthews – City Council Planning Officer Ivan Stone (IS) - 3g Communications (for National Grid) Presenter Graham Quick - North Somerset District Council PPA Board Dave Pring – Environment Agency Member Gillian Ellis-King – South Gloucestershire PPA Board Cllr Chris Morgan - West Somerset Council Member

Hinkley C Connection Group Approved Minutes of Meeting – Thursday 24th October 2013

Maunsel Room, The Canalside, Marsh Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 6LQ

Agenda Item Note Action

1. Lunch 12.30pm – Maunsel Room, Canalside

2. Welcome from Chair Welcome and apologies. The Chair noted that a number of members of the group had phoned in to say they would be late or have turned round following sever traffic jams resulting from the closure of M5 today.

3. Minutes, Actions and The minutes from June 2013 meeting were matters arising agreed and the actions and matters arising recapped.

4. Highlight Report Activity since last meeting was reviewed and a forward look presented.

5. National Grid An update on the Stage 4 consultation was provided. National Grid was pleased with the number of people coming to the various events and information hubs. For the first time there had been significant dialogue and engagement with local residents at Avonmouth. So far over 200 people have attended the Q&A Exhibition events and 900 people calling into the information hubs and other events. The consultation vehicle was also being well used. General feedback is that there is lots of interest in the T pylon.

National Grid had one of their regular meetings with PINS a few weeks previously. It was discussed that PINS were very busy and thus hearings could be a possibility during the summer period if need be.

There were a number of questions from Members of the Group including a look at the examples of cable bridge photos distributed with the agenda. National Grid explained that the crossing of the River Axe could be by cable bridge or horizontal drilling underneath. Hinkley C Connection Group Approved Minutes of Meeting – Thursday 24th October 2013

Maunsel Room, The Canalside, Marsh Lane, Bridgwater, TA6 6LQ

Next steps – there is considerable work still remaining to complete the environmental assessment work and prepare submission documents. The s42/47 consultation responses will need to be fully examined and consideration of any design changes resulting from this. It was explained that significant changes to the route alignment were not expected.

6. Round Table updating Verbal updates from partners were presented:

West Somerset Council – their consultation response report was presented to Council last night by Cllr Morgan and was approved.

Somerset County Council – A decision notice of the 18th October had not been challenged so the decision of cabinet member (Cllr Hall) is approved and available on their website.

South Gloucestershire-delegated decision and Bristol city council will go to the regulatory committee.

North Somerset council- A meeting on 9th October of their planning regulatory committee resolved to recommend undergrounding, with a number of other observations on the consultation proposals made.

7. AOB 8. Next meeting Agreed as Wednesday 15th January at 10.30 venue to be confirmed - potentially Weston- super-Mare.