Sites revealed for new wave of nuclear power plants

A LIST of potential sites for new nuclear power stations was unveiled by the Government today.

Nine of the locations have previously been home to nuclear reactors - including Dungeness in Kent and Sizewell in Suffolk - while two others are close to the former Sellafield reactor site in Cumbria. The sites have been nominated by companies interested in building the stations and have been initially approved by the Government.

The potential locations are: Dungeness in Kent; Sizewell in Suffolk; Hartlepool in Cleveland; Heysham in Lancashire; Sellafield in Cumbria; Braystones in Cumbria; Kirksanton in Cumbria; Wylfa Peninsula in Anglesey; Oldbury in Gloucestershire; Hinkley Point in Somerset and Bradwell in Essex.

They are part of a plan to build a new generation of nuclear power stations to help close what has been described as a "generation gap" expected as existing nuclear and coal-fired stations shut down.

The public are being asked for their views during a month-long consultation period. Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: "Nuclear power is part of the low carbon future for Britain. It also has the potential to offer thousands of jobs to the UK and multi-million pound opportunities to British businesses."

The sites have been nominated by energy giants EDF, E.ON and RWE, and by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, which owns some nuclear sites.

None is in Scotland or Northern Ireland, where planning is a devolved issue.