DEPZ Determination Report
Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) Redetermination for Hartlepool
Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit
March 2020
Executive Summary
On 22 May 2019, updates to the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (REPPIR) came into effect. Under Regulation 8, the responsibility for setting the Detailed Emergency Planning Zone (DEPZ) moved from the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to local authorities.
Hartlepool Borough Council reviewed the DEPZ for Hartlepool Power Station using the updated Consequence Report provided by the site operator, EDF Energy. Based on this report and local considerations, the DEPZ has been extended from 1km to 2km.
About the Area
Hartlepool Power Station is located in the south of the borough, near:
- Industrial estates
- COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) sites
- Local Wildlife Sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest
- The Teesmouth National Nature Reserve
- The Seaton on Tees Channel and River Tees
The updated DEPZ now crosses into the areas of Stockton Borough Council and Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
How the DEPZ Was Determined
The original 1km DEPZ included a few businesses and wildlife areas but no residential properties.
Under REPPIR 2019, EDF Energy carried out a technical assessment and submitted a Consequence Report. This report outlines potential fault scenarios and recommends protective distances. It proposed a minimum 2km zone for urgent countermeasures.
This recommendation was reviewed and verified by Public Health England’s Centre for Radiological, Chemical and Environmental Hazards.
Hartlepool Borough Council considered:
- Local geography and demographics
- Practical implementation of emergency plans
- Avoiding the division of communities
- Including vulnerable groups near the proposed boundary
Consultation and Approval
To finalise the new DEPZ:
- The Emergency Planning Consultative Committee was consulted
- A site walkaround was conducted
- COMAH sites within the new zone were consulted (no objections were raised)
- The proposal was reviewed by the Local Resilience Forum Strategic Board
- Approval was given by the Council’s Finance and Policy Committee
What the New DEPZ Includes
The updated DEPZ now covers:
- 6 COMAH sites
- Industrial estates: Graythorpe, Tofts Farm East and West
- 1 residential property
The boundary follows physical features such as roads, railways, and footpaths.
This decision will be implemented through the updated Hartlepool Off-Site Emergency Plan, in line with REPPIR 2019.
ANNEX A – Map showing the original 1km DEPZ and the new DEPZ
