º£½ÇÊÓÆµ

Oops.

Our website is temporarily unavailable in your location.

We are working hard to get it back online.

PRIVACY
Economic Development

New Energy Secretary Alok Sharma will make Wylfa Newydd decision after Andrea Leadsom's sacking

The former International Development Secretary is expected to make a DCO decision before March 31

Alok Sharma, the new Secretary of State for Business (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)

The decision on whether Wylfa Newydd gets the planning go-ahead now lies in the hands of new Energy Secretary Alok Sharma after Andrea Leadsom was axed in Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle.

Mr Sharma was today appointed Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy(BEIS) - with a decision on the £12bn Anglesey nuclear plant due before March 31.

Former BEIS Secretary Ms Leadsom had been expected to give a decision on the Development Consent Order application in October.

Andrea Leadsom(Image: Getty Images)

 

But she deferred the decision for six months to obtain additional information on environmental and other impacts on Anglesey.

It means this key decision is now in the hands of Mr Sharma.

Developer Horizon Nuclear Power did not comment on the reshuffle but sources said they still expected a decision before the end of March despite the change at the top of the department.

The project is currently in a state of limbo after it was suspended by Horizon parent company Hitachi in January 2019 after they failed to reach a funding agreement with the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ Government.

Horizon Nuclear Power signs at Wylfa Newydd (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)(Image: Getty Images)

 

It had been hoped by those who support the scheme that securing planning for the site would give the project fresh impetus and help drive through a new deal to fund the plant with