§ Mr. Foulkesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the sites being examined by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority for test boring, indicating whether planning permission has been sought; and, if so, what the current position is regarding the applications together with dates of application, granting or refusal of permission and dates of submission of appeal where applicable, and details of the terms of each application including the depth of bores.
§ Mr. KingThe United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority—UKAEA—has applied for planning permission at four sites in the United Kingdom for the purpose of studying the properties and structure of the rocks and the movement of the water within them.
The application for Altnabreac, Ulbster Estate, Caithness was submitted on 16 May 1978 and granted by the Highland regional council on 23 June 1978. The maximum depth specified for the bore-holes was 300 metres, with a maximum diameter of 4.5 inches.
An application for Carrick Forest, Strathclyde, was submitted on 27 January 1978 and refused by the Kyle and Carrick district council on 24 October 1978. It involves a maximum borehole diameter of 6.625 inches and a maximum depth of 500 metres. The UKAEA appealed against the refusal to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland on 11 April 1979. He has ordered a public inquiry to be held, beginning on 19 February 1980.
Two applications for the Chillingham and Usway forests in Northumberland were submitted on 21 February 1978 and refused by Northumberland county council on 29 June 1978. The applications involve a maximum borehole diameter of 6.625 inches and a maximum depth of 500 metres. The UKAEA submitted appeals in respect of each site to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 15 December 1978.