THE already delayed Hinkley C project is facing a fresh threat, this time in the form of a legal challenge from the National Trust of Ireland.

The charity is seeking a judicial review against the Government's decision to give approval for the new nuclear power station to be built.

Taisce, the Irish name for the trust, claimed the UK Government had breached European law by not consulting the Irish people before giving the scheme the go-ahead.

A Taisce spokesman said the plant would be as close to the Irish coast as it would be London and would be closer to Dublin than it would to Leeds.

Papers have now been lodged at the High Court, challenging the Government's "legal compliance" with the European Environmental Impact Assessment Directive.

The directive stipulates that EU states affected by certain major projects must be consulted during the planning process.

But while a spokesman for the UK's Department of Energy and Climate Change was adamant the Government had taken full account of the law, Taisce said the proper procedures had not been followed.

James Nix, the charity's director of operations, said: "This case is not about interfering with the right of the UK authorities to make their own decisions, nor about being pro or anti nuclear.

"It is about ensuring that the rights and interests of the Irish public and their concern for their environment are not excluded from those decisions and that the Irish public is properly consulted in accordance with the law on a project of this nature."

Last week, Irish Environment Minister Phil Hogan said the Irish Government had been "actively involved" in the consultation process for Hinkley C.

The Irish Government is also due to publish the findings of a "potential radiological impact" report in the coming weeks.

It commissioned the report to investigate the likely environmental impact of routine operations at the proposed plant and what might happen if there was an accident.

Hinkley C was granted a development consent order by the UK Government at the end of March.

But since then, no further progress has been made on the site near Stogursey as developer EDF Energy remains locked in talks with Ministers over a price guarantee for electricity due to be generated at the new station.

A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change said it was considering the trust's legal challenge and would respond "in due course".

The spokesman added: "The Secretary of State's decision to consent Hinkley Point C was in line with the Planning Inspectorate's recommendation.

"The decision-making process took full account of applicable EU and other international law."