Hinkley Point C is having a positive impact on local communities, businesses and the economy, according to a new report.
The Somerset power plant was the subject of a new dashboard report from the Heart of the South West LEP, which analysed the plant's role as a catalyst for growth, job creation, and prosperity.
The EDF owned project is the 海角视频’s first new nuclear power station in over two decades, which is being built to provide low carbon electricity for 6 million homes.
With the peak of construction still to follow, the dashbard said Hinkley Point C has already provided a "significant boost" to the local economy close to the construction site. Plus across the Heart of the South West, for every pound invested in the project, the local region is gaining £2.50 of value.
Productivity in Bridgwater, the town closest to the project, is growing faster than anywhere else in the region, according the report, as it sits above the national average. Since 2016 when construction started, there has been a surge of medium to large companies setting up, expanding, or relocating to the region, which has brought new investments and opportunities.
Read more: Hinkley Point C supply chain scheme secures £180m for South West firms
It is forecast that Hinkley Point C will provide 25,000 employment opportunities during the construction phase and has already trained over 1,000 apprentices. Already the dashboard uncovered an increase in the population aged 25-39 in Sedgemoor and Taunton.
The data also showed how the project’s multi-million investment has made a difference with improvements in post-16 educational attainment - particularly in technical and vocational training - which has outpaced the national average.
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Karl Tucker, chair of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: "We are thrilled to present this comprehensive dashboard that delves into the remarkable impact of Hinkley Point C on our region. The project has not only brought substantial job opportunities and investments, but has fostered a culture of learning and growth. As we move forward, the positive effects of this project will continue to be felt by our communities, leaving a lasting legacy of progress."
Wider benefits from Hinkley are also evident in other data outside the dashboard. For example, the Hinkley Supply Chain Contract, funded by the Heart of the South West LEP from 2017 – 2023, supported Devon and Somerset businesses to win 127 contracts, worth £33m, generating an additional 250 high value jobs across the region.
Andrew Cockcroft, Hinkley Point C's senior stakeholder relations manager, added: “Hinkley Point C is essential in fighting climate change but is also delivering significant benefits for the communities that are hosting such an important project. From the very beginning, we have worked together with the Heart of the South West LEP to make sure that Hinkley Point C increases prosperity and productivity in Somerset and the South West – giving as many people as possible the chance to increase their skills and earning potential."
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