SZC Bk5 5.14 Equality Statement
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The Sizewell C Project 5.14 Equality Statement Revision: 1.0 Applicable Regulation: Regulation 5(2)(q) PINS Reference Number: EN010012 May 2020 Planning Act 2008 Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 SIZEWELL C PROJECT – EQUALITY STATEMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Contents 1 Equality Statement.................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Scope and Methodology ........................................................................................... 3 1.3 Policy ........................................................................................................................ 8 1.4 Baseline .................................................................................................................. 12 1.5 Consultation ............................................................................................................ 19 1.6 Effects of the Sizewell C Project ............................................................................. 24 1.7 Management and mitigation ................................................................................... 40 1.8 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 42 References .......................................................................................................................... 55 Tables Table 1.1: Summary of potential equality effects ................................................................. 43 Table A1.1: Religion statistics at ward, regional and national level (ONS, Census 2011) ................................................................................................................................... 45 Table A1.2: Population and age statistics at ward, regional and national level (ONS, Census 2011) ...................................................................................................................... 46 Table A1.3: Gender statistics at the ward, regional and national level (ONS, Census 2011) ................................................................................................................................... 47 Table A1.4: Health profiles at the ward, district, regional and national level (ONS, Census 2011) ...................................................................................................................... 48 Table A1.5: Ethnicity statistics at ward, district, regional and national level (ONS, Census 2011) ...................................................................................................................... 49 Table A1.6: Birth statistics at the district, regional and national level (ONS, 2013 - 2018) ................................................................................................................................... 50 Table A1.7: Facilities in the local area with potential relevance for equality ........................ 51 Plates Plate 1.1: Age profile (2011 Census, with East of England region as comparator) .............. 14 Plate 1.2: Religions other than Christianity (ONS) ............................................................... 18 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Equality Statement | i SIZEWELL C PROJECT – EQUALITY STATEMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Figures None provided. Appendices Appendix A: Tables .............................................................................................................. 45 NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Equality Statement | ii SIZEWELL C PROJECT – EQUALITY STATEMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 1 Equality Statement 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This report considers the potential effects on equality of the construction and operation of the proposed Sizewell C power station and construction, operation, and removal and reinstatement (where relevant) of the associated development. 1.1.2 Sizewell C would be a new nuclear power station on land immediately to the north of the existing Sizewell B power station. This Equality Statement is part of SZC Co.’s application for development consent for the Sizewell C Project. 1.1.3 The effects of the Sizewell C Project during its construction and operation phases have been assessed as part of the application. This Equality Statement draws together these assessments and considers the effects in relation to equality. a) The Sizewell C Project 1.1.4 SZC Co. is proposing to build a new nuclear power station at Sizewell in East Suffolk. It would be known as Sizewell C. Once built it would provide enough electricity to supply approximately 6 million homes (about 20% of all homes in the UK). This would support Government policy to move to a low carbon economy. 1.1.5 The power station would be on the Suffolk coast approximately halfway between Felixstowe and Lowestoft, to the north-east of Leiston (referred to as the ‘main development site’). This would include the land for the permanent power station, and additional land needed on a temporary basis to support its construction. 1.1.6 At the peak of construction (2028) up to 7,900 construction workers at the main development site, plus 600 associated development staff would be needed. 1.1.7 The main development site would include facilities to support the construction workforce, comprising a temporary accommodation campus (with gym, restaurant, bar, and informal recreation facilities), a temporary caravan site, and a 24/7 occupational health service. Off-site in Leiston, new sports facilities for shared worker and community use would be provided. NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Equality Statement | 1 SIZEWELL C PROJECT – EQUALITY STATEMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 1.1.8 The application also includes the following associated development to support the transport of workers and materials to and from the main development site during construction of the power station: • northern park and ride at Darsham; • southern park and ride at Wickham Market; • two village bypass; • Sizewell link road; • Yoxford roundabout and other highway improvements; • freight management facility; and • green rail route and rail improvements. 1.1.9 Some of the facilities built to support the construction, including the accommodation campus, caravan site, park and rides, and green rail route, would no longer be needed after construction is complete and would be removed and the sites reinstated. The two village bypass, Sizewell link road, Yoxford roundabout, other highway and rail improvements, as well as the off-site sports pitches in Leiston, will remain in place after construction, as part of the legacy of the Sizewell C Project. 1.1.10 When the power station is operational, there would be approximately 900 people working there (700 staff and 200 contractors). The site workforce would increase by approximately 1,000 every 18 months or so per unit (Sizewell C is a twin reactor) for planned maintenance and refuelling outages. b) Purpose of the report 1.1.11 This Equality Statement has been prepared to provide information to support the Development Consent Order (DCO) application for the construction and operation of the proposed Sizewell C power station. 1.1.12 The need for Sizewell C has been established as a matter of national policy. The Government’s National Policy Statement (NPS) EN-1 (Ref 1.1) establishes the need for new electricity generating capacity and for new nuclear power to be part of that. NPS EN-6 (Ref 1.2) confirms the suitability of Sizewell as a site for the deployment of a new nuclear power station before the end of 2025. NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED Equality Statement | 2 SIZEWELL C PROJECT – EQUALITY STATEMENT NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED 1.1.13 As explained in further detail in the Planning Statement (Doc Ref. 8.4), NPS EN-1 and EN-6 do not formally have effect for the Sizewell C DCO application as it is no longer possible for deployment to take place by the end of 2025. However, the Government has confirmed that both NPS EN-1 and NPS EN-6 incorporate information, assessments and statements, including statements concerning the need for nuclear power, which continue to be important and relevant for the Sizewell C Project. 1.1.14 As there has been no relevant change of circumstances since the NPSs were designated, significant weight should be given to the policies in NPS EN-1 and NPS EN-6., What remains is to assess the suitability of the Sizewell C DCO application proposals having regard to the key effects and associated mitigation of those effects against the assessment principles set out in NPS EN-1 and NPS EN-6 and other important and relevant issues.. 1.1.15 The DCO application contains a range of documents assessing the impacts of the proposals, notably the Environmental Statement (ES) (Doc Ref. 6.1 to 6.11) and Transport Assessment (Doc Ref. 8.5). This Equality Statement draws upon these documents to specifically consider the potential effects of the Sizewell C Project on equality, in order to inform the DCO decision-making process. 1.2 Scope and Methodology a) Legislative context 1.2.1 The Equality Act 2010 (Ref 1.3) (the Act) forms the basis of anti- discrimination law within Great Britain. Section 149 of the Act (the Public Sector Equality Duty) requires public authorities to have due regard to a number of equality considerations when exercising their functions including decision making on planning applications. This Public Sector Equality Duty includes the