(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)
Cabinet received a report from the Director for Economic Growth and Regeneration which sought approval to submit an Expression of Interest nominating a site for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:
Options Analysis
Advantages: The benefits to the community and economic advantages are outlined above. Lancaster City Council is collaborating with EDF at Heysham, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster University and other local stakeholders, institutions, industry supply chain and service providers to gather all relevant information for the EOI. It is understood that at some point in the near future, the decommissioning of Heysham Power Station may be implemented. This would have a significant negative impact on the local economy including revenue loss for the city council. The council has to investigate suitable alternatives to such an event and the STEP programme would provide an enduring benefit for the local economy.
Disadvantages: Not known at this stage
Risks: None at this stage, this is an Expression of Interest.
The officer preferred option was to submit the Expression of Interest.
In accordance with the Constitution Part 3, Section 3 of Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rule 17 the Chief Executive had consulted with the Chair of Overview and Scrutiny prior to the Cabinet meeting in relation to Urgency and Call-in if the recommendation was approved. The reason for the urgency was that the Expression of Interest needed to be provided before the 31 March and if the report was called in the deadline would pass for the submission of the expression.
Councillor Hamilton-Cox proposed, seconded by Councillor Hanson:-
“That the recommendation, as set out in the report, be approved.”
Councillors then voted:-
Resolved:
(6 Members (Councillors Hamilton-Cox, Evans, Hanson, Hartley, Lewis & Whitehead) voted in favour, 4 Members (Councillors Brookes, Dowding, Frea and Jackson) voted against.)
(1) That an Expression of Interest nominating a site for the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) project be submitted to the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) prior to the deadline of 31 March 2021.
Officer responsible for effecting the decision:
Director for Economic Growth & Regeneration
Reasons for making the decision:
STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) is an ambitious programme to design and build a prototype fusion power plant. In Autumn 2020, there was an open call to communities across the UK to host the prototype. UKAEA will make a recommendation to the Secretary of State for BEIS on the most suitable locations for STEP following a rigorous process of assessment using a defined set of key criteria. The decision enables an Expression of Interest to be submitted prior to the deadline on 31 March 2021.