Project related
15. A comprehensive review and summary of the current planning regime, relevant to the proposed amendments to the currently Approved Development, is provided in the Planning Statement (Lichfields, 2026). 3 Amendments to the Currently Approved Development 16. The proposed design amendments to Woodsmith Mine and the MTS sites are retained within the existing development boundaries and do not impact any ‘new’ land than currently approved. The development at Woodsmith Mine has been consolidated to the area already impacted by the construction phase, with no additional ground disturbance to that already planned and approved. 17. The development footprint at Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck reduces, with the removal of areas of land previously required to permanently store material arising from the construction of the shafts and MTS tunnel, and the creation of associated roadways and surface water drainage features. 18. No development will occur at the Tocketts Lythe MTS site. 19. The amendments proposed at Woodsmith Mine, Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck are summarised in Section 2.4 of SES Chapter 2 Background and Relationship to the Wider Project . 4 Approach to the Environmental Impact Assessment 20. The scope of the SES, i.e., the assessment topics to be included (scoped in) in the EIA, was agreed with NYMNPA and RCBC via the submission of an Environmental Scoping Report (Haskoning, 2025) and the resulting Scoping Opinion responses (RCBC reference R/2025/0763/SCP; NYMNPA reference R/2025/0763/SCP), received in December 2025. 21. The EIA covers the activities involved in the construction and operational phases of Woodsmith Mine, Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck. Any impacts from decommissioning, anticipated to occur in the future, have not been quantitatively assessed, as further environmental assessment would be required prior to decommissioning occurring. Where relevant, the potential impacts associated with decommissioning, and how they would be managed, are discussed. 22. The SES considers whether any additional or different environmental impacts that have not been previously identified as part of the original EIA process, and as reported in the 2014 ES, or the 2017 SES, may arise in association with the proposed amendments to the currently Approved Development. 4.1 Assessment Methodology 23. The EIA methodology and the application of significance to any impacts identified while undertaking this SES remains unchanged from that outlined in Chapter 5 The Environmental Impact Assessment Process and Methodology of the 2014 ES (Royal HaskoningDHV, 2014) and summarised in SES Chapter 4 Scoping and Methodology . Where an assessment, included within this SES, deviates from the overarching EIA methodology, e.g., a change in relevant guidance, this is detailed in the relevant assessment. 24. The assessment methodologies largely follow a similar overall approach but differ slightly between topics. This overall approach identifies receptors, e.g. people or habitats, that may be affected and considers how sensitive a receptor is to the impacts. Any effects that could arise, due to the construction and operation of the proposed amendments to the currently Approved Development,
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY
1 April 2026
1000-RHD-PA-RP-00005
3
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