Recommendations & Conclusions
19 items
1
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
We welcome the introduction of a framework that gives a strong presumption of consent for low-carbon generation and accommodates a broader range of nuclear technologies. However, confidence in a developer- led approach is not yet assured and will only come if DESNZ, GBE-N, and the Planning Inspectorate can collectively provide …
Government response. The government will publish supplementary information to EN-7 shortly, which will provide additional contact details for statutory consultees and estimates of potential costs and timings, and will continue to update it as necessary.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
2
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
As we said in our previous Report, Gridlock or Growth, there remains a fundamental tension between the Government’s stated preference for a market-led approach to energy and the trend towards active government management. This is especially apparent in nuclear policy, where siting for gigawatt-scale plants has always required some degree …
Government response. The government committed to setting out its ambitions and next steps on nuclear, and has commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan by 2050 to determine optimal locations for new energy projects, including …
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
3
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
When designating EN-7, the Government should publish a plan with its preferred level and mix of nuclear technologies, indicative deployment timelines, and the role of EN-6 sites potentially suitable for gigawatt-scale plants. Each part of this plan should explain the role of GBE-N in facilitating it. (Recommendation, Paragraph 21)
Government response. While no decisions have been made on other projects, the government intends to allocate a site to Great British Energy – Nuclear's Small Modular Reactor (SMR) programme later this year.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
4
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted in Part
GBE-N should announce its plans for Oldbury and Wylfa without further delay, including which technologies it intends to deploy. (Recommendation, Paragraph 22)
Government response. The government stated it intends to allocate a site to GBE-N's SMR programme later this year, acknowledging Oldbury and Wylfa as suitable locations for nuclear infrastructure.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
5
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Rejected
If planning examinations stray too far into matters reserved to other regimes this will undermine those regulators. While the exhaustive drafting of the criteria in EN-7 may simply be intended to empower the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State to consider a wide range of relevant factors, this overlooks …
Government response. The government rejects the committee's assessment, arguing that the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) consenting regime properly assesses project viability in controlling land, and a finding of regulatory viability during planning must be probabilistic to be proportionate.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
6
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
We are deeply concerned that EN-7 fails to present a truly joined- up approach across planning, safety, and environmental regulation. The absence of robust mechanisms to coordinate these regimes risks undermining the very purpose of an NPS: to provide a definitive and coherent framework for decision-making. If the Government’s objective …
Government response. The government is developing supplementary guidance to clarify interactions between regulatory regimes and commits to working with regulators and industry for greater alignment. They will also consider the recommendations of the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce and respond in due course.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
7
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Rejected
Language in section 2.4 presuming the effectiveness of regulatory regimes should be strengthened to state that the Examining Authority should require only such information as is reasonably necessary to assess planning and environmental impacts within the scope of this NPS. (Recommendation, Paragraph 31)
Government response. The government rejects strengthening the language, stating that the current EN-7 already balances the need for information with regulatory oversight and ensures unnecessary information is not sought.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
8
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
We also recommend that EN-7, or the accompanying guidance, explicitly support the use of conditional commencement mechanisms (also known as Grampian conditions). These would allow consent to be granted while restricting the start of specified works until relevant licences or authorisations are secured. (Recommendation, Paragraph 32)
Government response. The government judges that explicitly supporting conditional commencement mechanisms in the National Policy Statement (NPS) is not required because these mechanisms, such as Grampian-type requirements, are already in use in nuclear projects when deemed beneficial.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
9
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
Guidance must make clear to applicants the burden of evidence required against each criterion. Should a pipeline of DCO applications materialise, this guidance should be regularly updated as lessons are learned, rather than waiting for the next NPS review. (Recommendation, Paragraph 33)
Government response. The government agrees guidance must be clear and will ensure the supplementary information, currently under development with input from regulators and industry, is regularly updated as good practice is established and lessons are learned.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
10
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Acknowledged
The Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce has already called for radical reform to the regulatory landscape. It should set out how a “one stop shop” for permitting civil nuclear could operate in practice and examine whether this could be achieved without compromising safety and environmental standards. The Government should respond swiftly with …
Government response. The government will carefully consider the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce’s final recommendations and respond as soon as possible, without committing to specific policy or legislative changes at this stage.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
11
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Acknowledged
Looking beyond EN-7, the Government will need to start considering proposals for a more diverse fleet of reactors with different benefits and risks. A future NPS might, for certain technologies, need to disapply criteria or introduce entirely new ones. (Conclusion, Paragraph 38) 25
Government response. The government notes the committee's conclusion about a future NPS needing to accommodate diverse reactor technologies and include technology-specific criteria. It states it is open to exploring these opportunities and will continue engagement with industry and experts.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
12
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Acknowledged
EN-7 should signal the Government’s openness to developing more technology-specific criteria in the next nuclear NPS, and invite ongoing contributions from industry, regulators and independent experts on how siting policy can adapt to a more varied nuclear landscape. (Recommendation, Paragraph 40) Improvements to the draft criteria
Government response. The government is open to exploring opportunities for technology-specific criteria in future nuclear National Policy Statements (NPS) and will continue to engage with industry, regulators, and experts as it develops future siting policy.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
13
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted in Part
As the technology-specific NPS for nuclear, the section of EN-7 dealing with socioeconomic impacts is surprisingly quiet about the factors peculiar to nuclear developments: the long construction timelines, the specialised nature of the labour required, and the enduring presence of infrastructure in host communities. These features distinguish nuclear power from …
Government response. The government agrees nuclear projects bring significant socioeconomic benefits, highlighting existing initiatives, and stating further criteria are not required. However, it will amend EN-7 to note some of the additional unique benefits of nuclear power that the Committee highlighted.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
14
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
EN-7 should expand on the socioeconomic impacts specific to nuclear infrastructure. This includes recognising the long construction periods and the potential for the creation of high-quality, long-term jobs. While EN1 generically acknowledges construction impacts and training opportunities, EN-7 and accompanying guidance should go further in setting expectations for how nuclear …
Government response. The government believes existing DCO Section 106 arrangements and current projects are already effectively delivering socioeconomic benefits, therefore further criteria are not required, but will amend EN-7 to note some of the additional unique benefits of nuclear.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
15
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Acknowledged
Besides traditional measures like apprenticeship quotas and community benefit funds, the Government should also investigate more creative mechanisms to ensure economic value from nuclear developments is captured locally. This could include doing more to encourage jointly consenting public infrastructure like roads and railways, and exploring fiscal measures like full business …
Government response. The government notes the recommendation and is exploring all options, including potential guidance on community benefit funds, to ensure economic value from nuclear developments is captured locally.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
16
Conclusion
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Deferred
We accept the Government’s view that it is reasonable, in the absence of compelling new safety data, to exclude nuclear reactors from built- up areas. It is rightly the purpose of a national policy statement to provide a consistent definition here. However, the current SUPDC methodology serves neither transparency nor …
Government response. The government acknowledges the concerns about the Semi-Urban Population Density Criterion (SUPDC) methodology but states they will keep the current requirement to consult the HSE, deferring exploration of alternative solutions and review of the criterion until after EN-7's designation.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
17
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Rejected
EN-7 should, for now, retain SUPDC to avoid delaying its designation, but should replace the requirement to consult the Health and Safety Executive with a published map showing SUPDC test results for all of England 26 and Wales at a suitable resolution (but ideally on a 100-metre grid at least …
Government response. The government rejects the recommendation to replace HSE consultation with a published map for SUPDC, explaining that the underlying data updates too frequently to make maps viable, and states they will keep the current HSE consultation requirement while remaining open …
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
18
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Rejected
The Government should commission the Office for Nuclear Regulation to develop proposals for a replacement methodology to SUPDC. The ONR could consider the risks posed by different nuclear technologies, recognising that some novel technologies may pose greater or lesser risks of radioactive release. These proposals should include the option of …
Government response. The government rejects the idea of replacing SUPDC with REPPIR, arguing they are not equivalent and would waste resources. It commits to reviewing the EN-7 and Semi-Urban Population Density Criterion with the Office for Nuclear Regulation's help every five years.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
19
Recommendation
4th Report - The new National Policy St…
Accepted
The requirement in the generic EN-1 NPS for applicants to consider the use of waste heat should be restated in more technology-specific terms within EN-7 or the accompanying guidance. This could better support applicants seeking to make productive use of nuclear-generated heat. (Recommendation, Paragraph 66) 27
Government response. The government accepts the recommendation, committing to make clear in accompanying guidance to EN-7 that nuclear projects utilising both thermal and electrical output are welcomed.
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero