The government has unveiled sweeping reforms to speed up nuclear development in the UK after a review found the current regulatory system is too slow and overly bureaucratic.
Ministers say the changes will streamline planning and regulation to accelerate new nuclear projects while maintaining environmental protections.
The overhaul follows an independent review led by John Fingleton which concluded that the existing framework had become “overly complex” and prioritised process over outcomes.
The government says it will now implement the review’s recommendations with all reforms expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Officials argue the shift towards what they describe as “smarter regulation” will reduce the cost and timeframe of delivering both civil and defence nuclear projects.
The changes form part of the government’s wider push for what it calls a “golden age of nuclear” to strengthen energy security and cut reliance on volatile fossil fuel markets.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “As the current Middle East conflict shows we need to go further and faster to build the clean energy we need to get off volatile fossil fuel markets and deliver energy security for our country.”
He added the reforms aim to ensure infrastructure is delivered more quickly while improving environmental outcomes.
The government is already backing several major nuclear projects across the UK.
These include the Sizewell C plant in Suffolk which ministers say will support 17,000 jobs at peak construction as well as the ongoing development of Hinkley Point C in Somerset.
Plans are also advancing for the UK’s first small modular reactors at Wylfa in North Wales alongside potential future projects with international partners.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “To build national resilience drive energy security and deliver economic growth we need nuclear.”
She added the reforms would remove “duplicative or overly complex guidance rules and regulations that have been holding back our nuclear ambitions.”
Alongside regulatory reform the government is also investing in nuclear research and skills. More than 500 doctoral students will be trained through new programmes across UK universities quadrupling the current intake of nuclear PhDs.
The initiative is backed by £65.6 million in funding for seven research programmes covering advanced reactor technology nuclear fuels waste disposal and materials science.
Ministers say the funding will help develop the next generation of scientists and engineers needed for both civil nuclear power and the UK’s defence nuclear programme.
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