2 days ago
The 'nuclear gold rush': What could Sizewell C bring to coastal community?
Ten miles down the road from Britain's biggest building site lies the market town of Bridgwater.
A historic centre of trade at the mouth of Somerset's chief river, it is famed for hosting the UK's oldest carnival celebrating Guy Fawkes' failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
Now there is a boom going on - but not everybody is feeling the benefit.
Hinkley Point C, where construction work on the two giant nuclear reactors is about to reach its peak, has brought thousands of workers to the local area.
Bridgwater high street is often awash with high-vis. The bed-and-breakfasts' midweek trade has been revitalised. If you're looking for a haircut, a bet, a takeaway or a pint, you've got plenty of options.
Becky Webber has run The Fountain Inn for 14 years. The 'Hinkley effect' means it is as busy as ever.
"The town's booming with people now," she says. "It does have a massive impact having Hinkley down here.
"It does help us hugely, especially after Covid as well. If we didn't have that extra group we would have struggled."
In a cafe overlooking the River Parrett, I'm pointed in the direction of Alan.
He came here to work on Hinkley Point A in 1963 and has stayed ever since. But he insists the town hasn't seen the benefits it could have from its nuclear neighbour.
The pensioner is being served by 28-year-old Josh. He still lives with his parents - trying to buy his first home is proving difficult and the 'Hinkley effect' means renting is out of the question.
"People are constantly coming and going," he says.
"Landlords are just looking to rent out to these Hinkley workers where they can charge a lot of money and get a lot of money in.
"The houses go so fast now. They can be up for sale and go within a week because people see it as a goldmine. It's made the housing market difficult for first-time buyers, for sure."
So what happens when the workers disappear? That's a question posed by Roy Pumfrey. He's been campaigning against Hinkley Point C since before I was born.
Sporting a Panama hat and showing off a car registration plate that reads 'N002 HPC', Roy tells me can see the cranes of Hinkley from his bedroom window in nearby Cannington.
"If you've jumped aboard the gravy train and are part of the golden side of the gold rush economy then you're getting a once-in-a-lifetime boost to your salary," he says.
"But it won't last."
EDF, the French firm behind Hinkley, disagrees.
"There is an amazing legacy from this project," says Andrew Cockcroft, the company's head of stakeholder relations and social impact.
"Hinkley Point C is a driver of growth and productivity here. We've seen thousands of people locally get trained into higher skilled, higher paid jobs."
EDF's annual 'socio-economic impact' report is packed with numbers.
It says Hinkley Point C is supporting 26,000 jobs across Britain. More than £5bn has been spent with local businesses. There are 4,600 British firms in the project's supply chain.
And more than 1,500 apprentices have been trained - people like 22-year-old Megan Ellicott. She grew up in Bridgwater and is coming to the end of a three-year pipe-fitting apprenticeship.
"I hope to stay here," she says. "But, possibly in the future, there will be other power stations like Sizewell. Hopefully over time I'll be able to move and go there."
Sizewell C will be an "exact replica" of Hinkley C, says Mr Cockcroft.
"A replicated project, making no changes, reduces cost and increases efficiency so we can make sure that the nuclear of the future is cheaper and also faster to build," he no doubt, those in Suffolk who've had one eye on Somerset will have a list of questions.
