Prime Minister hails West nuclear plant's role in economic deal with French

Building a new Westcountry nuclear power station will blaze the trail for a new Anglo-French industrial pact, David Cameron has said in Paris.

The Prime Minister yesterday shared a platform with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to commit to "economic collaboration" in the development of civil nuclear energy.

A visual interpretation of how Hinkley C could look, with its two reactors, once it is built on the Somerset coastline

Mr Cameron hailed French investment in the South West economy through a replacement power station on the Somerset coast, near Bridgwater – the first in a new generation of nuclear plants.

But the "entente", which the Government hopes will stop Britain from losing out on jobs in an industry dominated by foreign-owned players, was signed amid Westcountry politicians warning of residents being "disenfranchised". Meanwhile, activists continue to occupy the site.

Mr Cameron announced French-owned energy giant EDF has completed a £100 million deal with Keir/BAM Nuttall for preliminary works at Hinkley Point in Somerset.

It is the first major construction deal to be awarded in the £10 billion project and will underpin 350 jobs in the region.

The Prime Minister also revealed a new Rolls-Royce factory in Yorkshire will produce components for Hinkley as part of a £400 million deal with French energy giant Areva.

A national nuclear training centre in Somerset, in partnership with Bridgwater College, is also being developed to which EDF will commit £15 million.

Mr Cameron said the raft of deals signed yesterday, creating more than 1,500 jobs in the UK, is "just the beginning".

He said: "My goal is clear. I want the vast majority of the content of our new nuclear plants to be constructed, manufactured and engineered by British companies.

"And we will choose the partners and technologies to maximise the economic benefits to the UK. Today marks an important first step towards that. A good deal for Britain and a good deal for France."

The Prime Minister was heading a delegation of Cabinet ministers at a UK-France summit at the Elysee Palace focused on nuclear energy, defence co-operation and the crisis in Syria.

The new Somerset plant, known as the Hinkley Point C twin reactor, will be the UK's first new nuclear power station for 20 years. EDF hopes to build the reactors by 2018.

The site on the Bristol Channel coastline has supplied millions of homes with power since Hinkley Point A became operational in 1965.

The new plant has the go-ahead for preparatory work but, as yet, has not been granted planning permission.

There are already more than 700 people in UK and France working on the Hinkley Point C project. EDF estimates up to 25,000 people will be employed over the course of construction with 5,600 people on site at peak.

Vincent de Rivaz, EDF Energy, chief executive, said: "We now have a strong platform in place to build on our existing achievements and continue our work. This is crucial to the growth agenda in both countries."

But Sedgemoor District Council is concerned it does not have the "very large sums of money" to pay for scrutinising the £10 billion project's planning application. Around £2 million would cover the costs of all the local authorities affected.

Sedgemoor leader Duncan McGintty said: "Whilst the community welcomes the potential for local investment and jobs these developments could bring, it is essential we do not disenfranchise the community, who are bearing the impact of this nationally beneficial infrastructure, by preempting the process being undertaken through the formal planning system."

Protesters meanwhile want preliminary works, which will clear several hundred acres of Somerset coastal land, to be halted for a year until EDF knows it has planning consent. "If this land and these habitats are lost and then they don't get planning permission, EDF will have committed an act of unprecedented ecological vandalism," said protester Theo Simon.

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