Britain’s nuclear sector faces deployment delays of up to a decade compared to peer nations due to what the UK’s Nuclear Taskforce describes as “unnecessarily slow, inefficient and costly” regulation.
In its interim report released on August 11, 2025, the body warns that outdated planning frameworks and a fragmented oversight system are undermining both civil nuclear projects and the cost efficiency of the UK’s nuclear deterrent.
The report—commissioned by the prime minister in February and led by former Office of Fair Trading chief executive John Fingleton—argues that a “once-in-a-generation reset” is needed. The taskforce points to three critical problem areas: overlapping regulatory processes, a risk-averse safety culture, and planning systems unsuited to emerging reactor technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced modular reactors (AMRs).
While the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation is internationally respected for its safety rigor, the report questions whether the growing procedural complexity has delivered proportionate benefits. Fingleton notes that the layering of new rules over decades has created duplication between agencies, with similar safety assessments repeated by different regulators. This, the taskforce warns, not only adds cost but also pushes delivery timelines beyond market-relevant windows—an acute risk for SMRs competing against rapidly deployed renewables and gas generation abroad.
The taskforce also highlights how the current planning regime fails to accommodate the modular, distributed nature of new nuclear designs. SMRs and AMRs are intended for flexible siting—often near industrial demand hubs—but existing planning laws are written for gigawatt-scale coastal stations, requiring extensive rework for each application. This mismatch, combined with a reluctance within the system to challenge entrenched practices, is contributing to cost escalation and loss of investor confidence.
As a preliminary response, the government will collaborate with the taskforce to create a strategic direction that prioritises speed without compromising safety. The final recommendations, due this autumn, are expected to include streamlining approvals into a single coordinated process, embedding proportionate risk management, and aligning planning policy with the technical profiles of new nuclear technologies.
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