Hinkley Point C has transformed the fortunes of its local area, according to new research. What was once seen as being too remote, with not enough jobs, and an ageing population, has instead become a success story.

In 2017 the Guardian reported that West Somerset was bottom in a UK league table for social mobility – but what a difference a nuclear new build project like Hinkley Point C has made to the local economy since then.

A critical project to upgrade Sellafield’s electrical power network has hit an important milestone.

The Electrical Distribution Network Upgrade Project, known as EDNUP,  is working to refurbish the Sellafield site’s electricity system.

Teams working on the project installed 33 concrete base slabs last year, achieving a key target.

Laying slabs on a site as complex and congested as Sellafield is no easy job.

Hinkley Point C, the new nuclear power station in Somerset, is asking for views on its plans to create more than 800 acres of saltmarsh on the River Parrett.

The proposed saltmarsh at Pawlett Hams near Bridgwater would create new habitat for fish and animals, improve local water quality and help prevent flooding. It’s one of a number of proposed measures to help wildlife and the environment around the Severn estuary. These include planting of seagrass and kelp, developing native oyster beds and removing weirs on three rivers to help migrating fish to reach their breeding grounds.

A temporary water desalination plant, powered with electricity from Sizewell B, is planned to meet the water requirements for the construction of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant in Suffolk, UK. A new water main is expected to provide a permanent supply in the early 2030s.