Government names 10 nuclear sites

Ten out of 11 sites nominated to host new nuclear power stations in March have been given the initial nod by the government.

Nine spots in England and one in North Wales have been listed as suitable for new nuclear development in draft documents released this afternoon, which will guide planning decisions on infrastructure schemes of national importance.

Sizewell in Suffolk, where EDF hopes to build one of the first in a new fleet of nuclear plants, is included in the list, as are three sites in Cumbria. However, the government has ditched Dungeness in Kent due to environmental concerns.

A statement from the department of energy and climate change said: “Dungeness was nominated but has not been listed as the government does not consider that potential environmental impacts at this site can be mitigated. The government also has concerns about coastal erosion and associated flood risk at that nominated site.”

Three alternative suggestions, Druridge Bay in Northumberland, Kingsnorth in Kent and Owston Ferry in South Yorkshire, were also rejected, it said.

In total, six national policy statements were released today for consultation, covering fossil fuels, renewables, transmission networks and oil and gas pipelines as well as an overarching energy statement. The statements will be used to inform the decisions of the newly established Infrastructure Planning Commission, which will fast track major schemes through the planning process.

Energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said: “The threat of climate change means we need to make a transition from a system that relies heavily on high carbon fossil fuels, to a radically different system that includes nuclear, renewable and clean coal power.

“The current planning system is a barrier to this shift. It serves neither the interests of energy security, the interests of the low carbon transition, nor the interests of people living in areas where infrastructure may be built, for the planning process to take years to come to a decision.

“That is why we are undertaking fundamental reform of the planning system which will result in a more efficient, transparent and accessible process.”

Miliband also announced a programme for four large-scale carbon capture and storage projects, to be funded through a levy on electricity bills.

The nominated nuclear sites are:

• Bradwell, Essex
• Braystones, Cumbria
• Hartlepool
• Heysham, Lancashire
• Hinckley Point, Somerset
• Kirksanton, Cumbria
• Oldbury, South Gloucestershire
• Sellafield, Cumbria
• Sizewell, Suffolk
• Wylfa, north Wales.