Changing Planning Rules to Speed up Nukes

speed up approval of major infrastructure projects to help bolster sources of
supply. Nuclear power stations could be fast-tracked under a planning shake-up
to try to alleviate the country’s energy crisis. Greg Clark, the Levelling Up
Secretary, unveiled new rules to speed up approval for major infrastructure
projects as part of an effort to enhance energy security. The plans could also
slash the amount of time it takes to get offshore wind projects approved. Mr
Clark said the new rules would help speed up the approval of large projects. “Particularly
in a time of high inflation, things need to be done more quickly or costs of
major infrastructure projects will rise,” he said. “These changes will help
deliver new infrastructure more quickly by speeding up the planning process,
which often moves too slowly.” Boris Johnson said he would be saying more later
in the week about his Government’s plans to build more nuclear power stations. The
Prime Minister said: “People want to know that we are going to have a long-term
British energy security strategy. And we are. We are putting in more nuclear.
You are going to be hearing more about that later this week. “And we are
putting in absolutely shedloads of wind power as well.” The Prime Minister is
expected to make a speech about energy security on Thursday. Last year, 38 per
cent of the UK’s overall energy supply was imported from abroad. Mr Johnson hopes
he can give the go-ahead for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station before he
leaves office next Tuesday. The plan is understood to have the backing of Kwasi
Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, who is expected to be Ms Truss’s chancellor. But
there is always the concern that any new power station will take years to be
approved and built. The new powers announced by Mr Clark will mean shorter
deadlines can be set for examinations of “nationally significant infrastructure
projects”, speeding up decisions and getting projects built more quickly. A
spokesman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said
this could include strategic roads, offshore wind farms and nuclear power
stations. The relevant secretary of the state – for example for energy,
transport, environment or levelling up – will decide whether to put the shorter
deadline in place. It is hoped this will reduce the amount of time to approve
offshore wind farms from four years to one, and also significantly reduce the
amount of time to give the go-ahead to nuclear power stations. The Government
wants to ensure that the seven years it took to approve the Sizewell B nuclear
power station is significantly reduced in future. The policy, however, does not
cover onshore wind farms, as they are not considered a “nationally significant
infrastructure project”. Ministers will make the changes to the process through
amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Telegraph 30th
Aug 2022

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/08/30/nuclear-power-stations-could-fast-tracked-help-solve-spiralling/

 Yorkshire Post 31st
Aug 2022

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/power-to-fast-track-new-nuclear-power-stations-given-to-ministers-3824839

Daily Mail 31st
Aug 2022

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11162547/Nuclear-power-plants-benefit-faster-planning-amid-energy-crisis.html