Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the Planning Inspectorate invited comments from the applicant and interested parties regarding the Swansea Bay Lagoon Application (EN010049), including the consideration of alternatives to the proposed lagoon project, but did not do so in respect of the Thames Tideway Tunnel.

Each application is examined in the context of relevant designated National Policy Statements.

For the Thames Tideway Tunnel application the relevant national policy is contained in the Waste Water National Policy Statement (paragraph 2.6.34), which states:

"The examining authority and the decision maker should undertake any assessment of an application for the development of the Thames Tunnel on the basis that the national need for this infrastructure has been demonstrated".

"It would be for Thames Water to justify in its application the specific design and route of the project that it is proposing, including any other options it has considered and ruled out."

The Examining Authority (Panel) appointed to examine the Thames Tideway Tunnel did ask written questions and hold hearings about alternatives to the applicant’s above ground site selection process and tunnel drive / construction strategy, but as directed by the National Policy Statements, the Panel did not consider alternatives to a tunnel.

In the case of the Swansea Tidal Lagoon application the Secretary of State is due to issue his decision on 10 June 2015. It would not be appropriate to comment in any detail on the examination of this application in advance of the Secretary of State’s decision. However, suffice to say that there are no designated National Policy Statements for tidal range power generating schemes.