Skip to main content
Menu

Being a good neighbour

We know that a project of the scale of Hinkley Point C can have huge effects on the local community; there may be disruption to local traffic, construction noise and impacts on the environment. We take our responsibility for minimising local disturbance very seriously and have been working with community representatives to put long-term plans in place to ensure it.

We are committed to transparency, which is why up-to-date and accurate information about the work being done and its likely effects is always available online and at our Visitor Centre in Bridgwater.

Traffic management

Our aim is to keep the impact on local roads as low as possible. We will have workers living close by in campus accommodation to avoid additional traffic. And our park and ride sites mean workers will be grouped together on buses to get to site. But traffic management is not just about people – a lot of materials will need to be brought to the site as well. In some cases, we can stockpile materials in advance.  In others, it’s about working with our neighbours to reduce deliveries during the school run and rush hours.

A lot of the time we’ll avoid using roads altogether. Our on-site jetty will be able to take delivery of at least 80% of the materials we need to make cement. This means we can take 125,000 HGVs off the roads. And we’ll also use the sea to bring in the really large pieces of equipment we need for the reactor itself.

Noise management

It is inevitable that the construction process will cause some noise. The planning authorities have set the limits on how much noise can be generated; ensuring communities nearby can go about their normal daily lives – we will work within these limits. West Somerset Council’s and Sedgemoor District Council’s Environmental Health Officers will monitor and, if necessary, enforce these limits.

The environment

We aim to limit any adverse effects on the environment due to Hinkley Point C. Any significant adverse effects of the construction, operation or decommissioning of the power station will be mitigated - where practical and appropriate - in a way which is environmentally responsible and sensitive both to the needs of the community and to the strategies of the relevant authorities.

More broadly, we are seeking to work with contractors who achieve continual improvement in their sustainability performance, adopting and implementing practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce resource consumption, minimise waste arisings, enhance recycling opportunities and reduce environmental risks.

Housing

We recognise that with 10,000 people employed on the Hinkley Point C site at the peak of construction, there is likely to be an impact on the local housing market. To help mitigate this we have built two accommodation campuses – with a total of 1,500 beds - in Bridgwater and at the Hinkley Point C site to house workers who move to the area. The on-site (“Hinkley”) campus will be removed when construction is complete. The Bridgwater (“Sedgemoor”) campus will leave a positive legacy for the future, as key infrastructure will be left in place for future development.

In addition to the campuses, we have a £7.5m housing fund that local authorities are using to increase accommodation capacity locally.

For more information on staying at our accommodation campus, please contact HOST Somerset on 01278 767 025 or info@host-somerset.co.uk. Workers can book a room directly through the HOST Somerset website. The Hinkley Point C Accommodation Office offers a range of alternative accommodation to the campuses and can be contacted on 08000 967360 or hinkley-accommodation@edf-energy.com.

Tourism

Our appreciation of Somerset’s thriving tourism industry has played a key part in the planning of Hinkley Point C. Plans have been developed and financial investment made to protect the existing tourism economy and ensure the industry is in the best possible position to take advantage of the huge opportunities available. After all, 25,000 job opportunities across the project mean not only a boost to the wider economy, but also a major new market for Somerset’s tourism business.

The Hinkley Tourism Action Partnership (HTAP) is a unique collaboration of organisations whose representatives - from Visit Somerset and Visit Exmoor, local authorities, the County Council and EDF – have been managing our £700,000 tourism investment since 2015. HTAP has already delivered major national advertising and social media campaigns, unique digital innovations and industry training support for digital developments. 

Contact us

The best way to contact us about Hinkley Point C is by completing our online enquiry form. You can also call us on 0333 009 7070 (24 hour free phone number).

For EDF's 24/7 media enquiry line call 01452 652233.

Stay connected

Follow Hinkley Point C on social media for the latest updates.

Twitter   LinkedIn   YouTube