PLANS have been submitted to construct a new storage facility at Sellafield.

Sellafield Limited has applied for planning permission to build a new storage facility on-site.

The construction will securely store Contact Handleable Intermediate Level Waste until the nuclear waste can be transferred to a Geological Disposal Facility.

In their planning statement, Sellafield Ltd said that “this complies with the national strategy for managing radioactive waste and, in retaining the waste at its origin, satisfies the proximity principle.”

Sellafield Limited told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the application is currently being considered by statutory consultees for their response.

Copeland Borough Council, parish councils, the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation will all be asked for their response to the plans.

The application has a target determination date of March 22.

The developer does not anticipate that an increase in noise will be a concern.

They said: “During the operational phase, LSS1 will operate in a quiescent state for most of its lifetime and its purpose as a waste store means relatively little activity will occur to generate and/or contribute to existing noise levels experienced across the Sellafield site.

“The assessment indicates the HVAC system, necessary to ensure the correct environmental conditions for the store, will generate the most noise during operations.

“This will be controlled using a DX Heat Pump arrangement; this equipment is already used to support other buildings elsewhere on the Sellafield site and will be subject to noise control measures to minimise any possible disturbance.”

An Air Quality Assessment accompanying the application said: “Vehicle movements during operations are expected to be significantly lower than those during the construction phase.”

The proposal is considered to have “negligible impact” on landscape and the visual surroundings as it is contained within the Sellafield site.

Applications are decided on by a county council when they involve minerals, waste related developments or developments to their own property.

To view all planning applications submitted to Cumbria County Council for approval, visit: https://cumbria.gov.uk/planning-environment/DC/dc.asp