Miliband outlines nuclear power plans
Updated on 09 November 2009
The government paves the way for an ambitious new fleet of nuclear power stations and sets out plans for clean coal and renewable sources by 2020.
From Somerset to Northumberland, the ten sites where Britain's new nuclear power stations could be built have been named as the Government paved the way for a massive expansion in nuclear power.
The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, also set out ambitious plans for the transition towards clean coal and renewable sources by 2020.
But some critics are more worried by plans for a faster planning system for new energy projects, claiming it will leave local people without a say.
Julian Rush explains
It's the biggest shake-up in Britain's planning system for decades, designed to speed up a sclerotic system.
Ed Miliband, the Energy and Climate Change Secretary says the current planning system is characterised by "duplication ... over-lapping responsibilities ... and delay" and these changes will save UK industry some £300 million a year in "unnecessary expense".
Critics say it is a green light to bulldoze through unpopular policies.
In future, planning decisions on big infrastructure projects, mostly in the energy sector, will be taken by a new Infrastructure Planning Commission. Projects like new nuclear power stations, new larger-scale wind farms, both on and off-shore, new coal or gas power stations, new electricity or gas networks, new ports and new airports.
This (unelected) body will take decisions on bigger projects, by considering the specific project against a framework set out in government National Policy Statements (NPS) that put the government's case for the need for that particular piece of infrastructure.
Six were published today for consultation; an overarching national energy infrastructure policy statement, with individual ones for nuclear power, fossil fuel power stations, renewable energy, electricity networks, gas and oil pipelines and ports. More - mainly in the transport arena - are expected soon.
That's led to complaints the new system is undemocratic. Once the coming 15-week consultation on the NPSs is over, then your last chance to object to the principle of nuclear power, say, will have disappeared forever.
The IPC will largely have a presumption to give consent. It will have to "take into account" smaller-scale local planning consultations, which will still take place, but these will deal only with specific local issues like noise and dust, or road layouts.
Ministers justify their changes by citing the planning process for the Sizewell B nuclear reactor. That took 6 years, cost £30m and only 30 of the 340 days of the inquiry were devoted to local issues. Or the Fullabrook 66MW wind farm that took over 3 years to get planning consent.
And they justify the concentration on energy infrastructure because of the urgent need to plug a looming energy gap. Don't believe the scare stories that the lights will go out in the next five years, but the reality is that around a third of the electricity generating infrastructure that we'll need in 2025 will have to be built between now and then.
