Sellafield nuclear site plans cuts as chief says £2.8bn funding ‘not enough’
Posted: 25th February 2025
Exclusive: Union concerned over safety as site’s bosses say budget does not cover work planned
Sellafield has said nearly £3bn in new funding is “not enough” and bosses are now examining swingeing cuts, prompting fears over jobs and safety at the vast nuclear waste dump.
Planned work to decommission the UK’s largest nuclear site could have to be slowed down or paused due to insufficient funding, managers have warned. Sellafield Ltd, which manages the site near Seascale in Cumbria, said its £2.8bn funding for the 2025-26 financial year would “not be enough” for the planned operations. The GMB union urged Sellafield to be transparent about the impact of the budget restraints on workers. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has been approached for comment. In October the spending watchdog, the National Audit Office, said the site was not “value for money” and it had spent £1.9bn more than it earned in 2023-2024. It is understood that while the funding for the 2025-26 financial year is similar to the one for the 2024-25, it does not take into account inflation and rise in energy prices.
BBC 24th Feb 2025