Report

The Woodsmith Project - S73 Project Amendments : Planning Statement

Proposed Amendments

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During the course of construction of the Project, Anglo American has identified a number of design enhancements that are necessary to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the Project for the long-term. The design amendments to Woodsmith Mine and MTS sites are within the existing development boundaries and results in no greater lateral footprint 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. In respect of the construction of the MTS, Anglo American has been able to progress this using just one Tunnel Boring Machine (“TBM”), when it had previously been planned to use up to five. This, in turn, has allowed the TBM launch shafts at Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck to be removed from the Project. Instead, the revised proposals seek to retain the existing shafts that were sunk to facilitate tunnel construction by the single TBM. In association with the above, the development footprint at Ladycross Plantation and Lockwood Beck will reduce, with the removal of areas of land previously required for permanent land forming, landfill waste management and the creation of associated roadways and surface water drainage features. Tocketts Lythe has been removed from the scheme in its entirety and is proposed to be formally deleted from the description of development for each relevant planning permission via S96A ‘non-material’ amendment applications that have been submitted in parallel. Whilst the full extent of the proposed amendments is shown on the plans which accompany this submission, a detailed description of the proposed key changes is set out below, alongside commentary as to how these have been derived; why they are required; and what alternative approaches to development have been considered.

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Woodsmith Mine

The continued design development of the Woodsmith Mine site has resulted in the retention of a larger permanent platform area, with more buildings but an overall reduction in the lateral extent of development from that already approved. Maximum building ridge heights for Mine buildings have been retained at circa. 212.8m AOD. The amendments seek to consolidate the development by concentrating the majority of the permanent structures on the main shaft platform, sitting behind the landscape screening bunds. The welfare facility will also be relocated to the main platform area from its approved location in the woodland of Haxby Plantation. The proposed key amendments to the scheme at Woodsmith Mine are described in further detail below, with the full extent of changes shown on the drawings which accompany the submission.

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Production and Service Shaft Buildings

The Production Shaft building, used to house the winding hoists and associated equipment and to hoist ore from pit bottom to the -360m level to connect with the MTS conveyor, will

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