Following a consultation on improving the process of finding a
site to host a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF), the Government
published a White Paper on 24th July 2014. This White
Paper created a new and improved plan for working with communities
to identify a site for a GDF. Over the next two years the
Government will work with experts and the public to give greater
clarity on issues such as national geological screening, the
planning process and the environmental impacts. The Government will
also look at how communities will be represented and what further
investment they can expect to see if they choose to host a GDF.
The Government has confirmed that it will be proceeding with the
GDF through the Planning Act 2008 system, once a site is chosen.
This involves bringing GDFs, and the borehole investigations that
support their development, within the statutory definition of
‘Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects’
(NSIPs) within the Planning Act 2008. This
