Plans for new nuclear to be accelerated

Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for smaller nuclear reactors to be built for the first time ever in the UK, the Government has announced.

It said that the changes will enable Small Modular Reactors to be approved across England and Wales, creating thousands of new jobs and boosting security of supply.

“Investors want to get on and build reliable, cheap nuclear power, which will in turn support critical modern infrastructure, such as supercomputers to power the UK’s ambitions - but they have been held back,” it said.

The changes include scrapping the set list of eight sites for nuclear stations which means new projects could be built anywhere across England and Wales.