EDF Energy has welcomed the decisions by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to approve applications to build and operate a temporary sea jetty at Hinkley Point C in West Somerset, the site of a proposed new nuclear power station.

The 500 metre-long jetty will be used during the construction of Hinkley Point C, should consent for the main development be granted. In the event that permission is not given to build a new power station, the jetty development would be removed and the area restored to its previous condition.

The temporary jetty will allow significant volumes of construction materials to be delivered by sea, as part of EDF Energy's transport strategy of minimising traffic on local roads. One sea vessel alone will avoid up to 250 heavy goods vehicles using the local road network.

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EDF Energy will start construction on the jetty at the earliest opportunity and will now work towards clearing various conditions attached to the order, appointing a contractor and undertaking on-shore and off-shore investigatory work this year to further its understanding of prevailing ground and sea bed conditions. The jetty is expected to take about 15 months to build.

Richard Mayson, Planning and External Affairs Director for EDF Energy Nuclear New Build, said: "We're very pleased to have been given the go-ahead for the temporary jetty. It will make a considerable contribution towards mitigating the impact of the station's construction on the local community, and today's decisions mark another important step in the right direction."

The applications for the temporary jetty were submitted in December 2010 and, following consultation, a public inquiry was held in Somerset in November 2011.

(CD/GK)