Nuclear power boom to be forced through environmental red tape

Environmental quangos that object to nuclear power stations could have their concerns overruled under Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to unleash a golden age of nuclear.

Under new proposals submitted to the Prime Minister, a new commission would be created with the power to reconsider “novel or contentious decisions” – overruling individual regulators if necessary.

In the report, the nuclear regulatory taskforce accused Natural England and the Environment Agency of adding “disproportionate” costs to projects by demanding design changes aimed at protecting nature.

Instead of addressing individual environmental concerns, developers could also be allowed to pay a large sum of money into a nature restoration fund.

It comes after Sir Keir pledged to usher in a “golden age” of nuclear power following a major agreement between Britain and the US during Donald Trump’s state visit in September.

The Prime Minister has pledged to “push past the Nimbyism” to get new projects off the ground, and has criticised the legal system for “holding us back and stifling growth”.

Rachel Reeves, who is expected to respond to the findings at her Budget on Wednesday, has said developers should not have to worry “about bats and newts”.

The taskforce pointed to a £50m “acoustic fish deterrent” at the Hinkley Point C plant in Somerset – dubbed the “fish disco” by critics – which has been the subject of a dispute between developer EDF and the Environment Agency.

The deterrent will use underwater loudspeakers that blast out sound in an attempt to stop fish swimming into the power station’s water intake pipes in the Bristol Channel.

The taskforce’s recommendations have been welcomed by nuclear supporters who argue that the cost of heavy-handed regulation is being borne by consumers through higher energy bills.

Sam Richards, of pro-growth campaign group Britain Remade, said: “At a time when Britain’s electricity bills are among the world’s highest, our regulatory system forced EDF to spend nearly £280,000 per fish protected. This is indefensible.

“If the Government’s promise of a new golden age for nuclear power is to have any weight, the Chancellor should accept all 47 of the taskforce’s recommendations when she delivers her Budget on Wednesday.”

‘Once in a generation opportunity’

John Fingleton, the economist and veteran regulator who chaired the taskforce, said ministers had a “once in a generation opportunity” to revamp Britain’s approach to building nuclear power plants.

The taskforce’s report also says developers are often forced to carry out “duplicative” work via assessments for multiple regulators.

It also says quangos tend to fixate on site-specific measures to mitigate the impacts of schemes when a different solution elsewhere might be better, or fail to account for the wider environmental benefits nuclear energy could bring by reducing the country’s carbon emissions.

Nuclear projects should “receive adequate scrutiny”, the taskforce said, but regulators should also recognise “there may be trade-offs” and strike a balance between competing priorities.

“Anything less would show the Government is not serious about growth or getting bills down.”

The proposals are likely to prove controversial with environmental charities and campaigners.

Alison Downes, of the Stop Sizewell C campaign, warned that the taskforce’s proposals were concerning alongside new siting policies “which could see reactors being located in entirely new communities to those historically used”.