An inception meeting was held to discuss Tidal Lagoon Newport (TLN). During this meeting a query was raised by the applicant in respect of Tidal Lagoon Cardiff (TLC) regarding Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) and Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessment.

The Inspectorate advised the applicant that s51 advice was being provided in relation to the HRA for TLC (and to a lesser extent WFD assessment processes) and would be available on the website. The possible need to make an IROPI case was discussed. The Inspectorate advised that, if this were the case, it would be necessary to pass the ?no alternatives? test in order to proceed to this stage, and therefore TLN should ensure clear, comprehensive information is presented on the alternatives considered for the development.