The construction of a 1,000-bed campus for Hinkley Point C workers near the M5 will not have any "significant effects" on the environment, Somerset Council has said.
The workforce at Bridgwater's new nuclear power station is anticipated to reach its peak in the next 18 months, with an estimated 15,000 people working on the build between 2026 and 2028.
In early July, NNB Generation Company (HPC) Ltd was granted planning permission to create additional parking spaces near Bridgwater and Albion Rugby Football Club, located within walking distance of one of the Hinkley park and ride facilities.
Later in July, the same company hinted at plans to establish a large new campus close to junction 24 of the M5, within walking distance of the motorway services which Welcome Break plans to provide.
These plans have now passed the initial stage, with Somerset Council ruling that the proposed development would not result in any significant environmental harm.
EDF Energy currently operates two bespoke campuses for Hinkley Point C – the Sedgemoor Campus on the A39 Bath Road, and the Hinkley Campus adjacent to the power station.
A substantial number of employees are also presently accommodated in various campsites or caravan parks, such as the Quantock Lakes facility near Nether Stowey and the Moorhouse Campsite in Holford.
The proposed new campus is situated at the eastern end of the private road Notaro Way, south of the existing Buttercup Nursery School and the Lakeview Holiday Cottages.
The site, which is easily visible from the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal towpath near the Huntworth Lane bridge, will house two and three-storey modular accommodation blocks. These are similar to those provided on the Bath Road campus in town, offering around 1,000 bed spaces.
On-site communal welfare and recreational facilities will include a restaurant, kitchen, bar, shop, gym and multi-use games area. Offices and more formal staff facilities will also be available.
A dedicated bus pick-up and drop-off area will be located near the junction with Notaro Way. This will allow residents to utilise existing park and ride services, eliminating the need to walk over the M5 or along the canal to the Huntworth Business Park facility.
The site will include 700 car parking spaces, 200 cycle parking spaces and 15 spaces for motorcycles. It is expected to be operational for a maximum of five years, after which the land will be returned to its original state.
These preliminary proposals, known as a screening request, aim to gauge the council's planning department's response and determine if a detailed environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required. If deemed necessary, this could delay construction until mitigation measures have been agreed upon.
The site falls outside the Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area, which means the developer won't need to provide additional phosphate mitigation measures.
In her decision on the screening request, Amelia Elvé, the council's principal planning officer, said: "The nature, scale and characteristics of the development are not considered likely to give rise to significant effects.
"The proposed location of the development does not have the potential to impact upon a sensitive area.
"Appropriate mitigation methods can be used to negate the possible impacts in respect of neighbouring residents, highways impacts, visual amenity, landscape and ecology.
"There is no potential for likely significant effects that would trigger the need for an EIA.
"This does not imply that the potential impacts of the development are acceptable in planning terms, or that the scheme is compliant with the relevant planning policies."
More comprehensive proposals for the campus are expected to emerge by Christmas.
The council is also set to decide on Welcome Break's detailed plans for the new junction 24 services by the end of the summer.
