Decision details

To consider the report of the Emergency Planning Manager seeking approval to review amenments to the Plan and approve version 5 of the Plan for publication.

In order to comply with the Radiation Emergency Preparedness and Public Information Regulations 2001, (REPPIR) the City Council as the 'offsite' statutory agency, is required to approve an offiste emergency plan to deal with any nuclear accident that may reasonably occur when a nuclear powered submarine is berthed in the Port of Southampton. There is a duty to review, amend and where necessary reissue the plan within a three year cycle.

(i)  To approve logistical, organisational and grammatical amendments to plan, as set out within Appendix 1 of this report.

(ii)  To authorise the Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Manager to make such typographical and textual amendments to the draft Plan as may be required to give effect to this decision prior to publication.

(iii)  To authorise the Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Manager to publish the revised Plan (version 5) and submit to the HSE as required.

Having fully considered this matter in consultation with statutory partners, decision maker is satisfied, other than the revised area for the pre-planned counter measures zone notified by the HSE, no other major changes have occurred since the last revision of the Plan and that the amendments therefore meet the requirement of all related legislation and in the case of the reduced planning zone has been independently scrutinised and approved by the Health and Safety Executive Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) as SCC regulatory authority.

It is therefore considered appropriate to approve the changes to and the publication of the Plan in order to meet the Authority’s duties under REPPIR and to provide appropriate protection for the public for any visits to the City by Royal Navy nuclear powered submarines.

In making this decision this decision the issues raised at the public meeting in November have been considered in particular relating to evacuation transport and cumulative doses decision maker is satisfied these do not need to be addressed in this version of the Plan.  These matters will be referred to the Inter-Agency Sotonsafe Emergency Planning Group for future investigation and consideration.

Do nothing, retain current arrangements.  This would potentially breach our legal and moral obligation to ensure timely review impacting upon the relevance and accurate nature of the Plan.

None.