Guidance for Site Stakeholder Groups meaning

In legal practice, this term refers to the Nuclear Decommissioning authority’s (NDA) non‑statutory guidance on the purpose, composition and operation of site Stakeholder Groups (SSGs) for UK civil nuclear sites. The guidance describes good practice for stakeholder engagement during operation, decommissioning and waste management, covering membership (including the site licensee, the Office for Nuclear Regulation, environment agencies, local authorities and community representatives), governance, transparency, frequency of meetings, publication of minutes and papers, secretariat arrangements and information provision. It is not defined in legislation or case law and is not legally binding, but it supports the NDA’s statutory stakeholder engagement duties under the Energy Act 2004 and is widely treated by licensees, regulators and planning/environmental permitting authorities as a benchmark for effective consultation. The guidance applies in England & Wales and Scotland; there are currently no licensed civil nuclear sites in Northern Ireland, and the guidance does not apply in Ireland, where different regulatory frameworks operate. Originally issued on 27 March 2009 (Ref LAR3.0), it has been updated periodically; practitioners should consult the latest NDA version when advising on nuclear site consultation and community engagement.