Communities living close to new nuclear reactors are set receive millions of pounds worth of benefits.
The UK government pledged today to hand out annual tax-payer founded payments to communities hosting nuclear power plants between 2030-2060.
An initial payment of £128million would be made to the Hinkley Point area in Somerset, where the first new generation nuclear power plant is set to be built by EDF.
The government said local authorities would also benefit for the first 10 years of a nuclear plant operations from a share of increased business rates revenues generated by the plant.
“New nuclear will have a central role to play in our energy strategy, providing heat and light to homes across the country,” energy minister Michael Fallon said.
“This package is in the interests of local people, who will manage it to ensure long-term meaningful benefit to the community.
“It’s proportionate to the scale and lifespan of new nuclear power stations and it builds on the major economic benefits they will bring in terms of jobs, investment and use of local services.”
Green energy campaigners disputed the proposed benefits compared to those offered by alternative power developers.
Community benefits packages have already been introduced for onshore wind farms and fracking, but in both cases the costs are covered by the developers.
“Whilst wind farms and even shale gas developers have to pay community benefits, only nuclear stations will get a fat taxpayer subsidy to fund them,” argues Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK.
“Our entire energy policy is now absurdly distorted by the desperation to prop up EDF’s faltering Hinkley C project, with the Government piling the costs on to the taxpayer to avoid the embarrassment of admitting they backed the wrong technology.
Work on the Hinkley Point plant are at a standstill while EDF and officials disagree on the price for electricity be generated by the plant.
Recommended for you
