Lord Mekhettasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are satisfied that the Nature Conservancy Council was provided by Penwith District Council with full details of proposals to dredge material from the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) Site of Special Scientific Interest, for the purpose of maintaining a navigation channel, and whether the excavation of sand bars and beach material in and adjacent to the SSSI constitutes permitted operations under the terms of any consent granted by the district council.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleThe Secretary of State for the Environment has been assured by Penwith District Council that they gave the Nature Conservancy Council full details of the proposals by Tekoa (Hayle) Limited to dredge material from the Hayle Estuary (Cornwall) Site of Special Scientific Interest, for the purpose of maintaining a navigation channel. The district council maintain that the dredging is in their view being carried out within the planning application site and in accordance with the permission granted. It would of course be for the district council, as the local planning authority responsible for development control in the area, to take action to remedy any breach of any consent granted, should they consider that such a course of action was justified.