RESPONSE TO RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE
31 JULY 2020
Tidal Power Plc (TPPlc) remains without doubt that, and as confirmed by our team of legal advisers, the Development Consent Order (DCO) for Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon has been deemed as having lawfully begun under section 155(1) o f the Planning Act 2008 following the execution of on-site material operations. We fundamentally do not agree as a matter of law with City and County of Swansea’s (CCS) statements that the DCO has lapsed. Whilst we did receive a site visit from a CCS planning officer, at no time during the execution of those material operations was a stop notice received from CCS. TPPlc do not intend to undertake additional construction work on site until the relevant outstanding DCO requirements have been discharged.
TPPlc has bought together a first class team of leading consultants, engineers and contractors to work together as a Tidal Alliance to deliver Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon. The Tidal Alliance remains ready to mobilise to start main work s as soon as the outstanding DCO requirements have been discharged.
TPPlc has offered to adopt a collaborative approach with both CCSC and NPTCBC (Neath Port Talbot Council) to deliver a Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon based on the existing DCO but incorporating any cost effective proposals they might have that improve the economics – thereby avoiding further project delays and repeated project costs, and ultimately delivering a first-of-a-kind world leading opportunity for local, regional and national benefit.