The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

 

When the NDA was formed, a key concern raised by communities was the potential economic impact from the eventual closure of nuclear facilities that once employed thousands of people, often in remote parts of the UK.

Learning lessons from the unplanned 1980s coal industry restructuring, which had left behind a range of social and economic problems, the Government's 2004 Energy Act charged the NDA with playing a full role in helping to address the local impacts of decommissioning.

With the benefit of time to plan, the NDA has drawn up a policy that sets out the priorities and criteria that guide its decision-making.

The NDA currently has provision in its budget to spend up to £10 million a year on projects that support the economic regeneration of areas affected by decommissioning activities.

Funded by efficiency savings, support has been provided to a range of projects targeting four priority areas where the closure of NDA facilities is likely to have the greatest impact: Caithness and North Sutherland, West Cumbria, Anglesey and Meirionnydd and the Gretna-Lockerbie-Annan corridor in Dumfries and Galloway.

The NDA works with a range of partner organisations to ensure projects are able to attract match funding, meet its criteria and will deliver economic benefits.

One of the major projects completed so far is the installation of a marina facility at Wick Harbour, which was opened by the Princess Royal in September and has generated £45,000 of revenue since opening in late summer. The NDA provided funds for a feasibility study and further funds for the project itself, totalling more than £400,000.

Wick Harbour's long-term development plan includes a breakwater that will create a deep water port to attract the oil and gas businesses working in the North Sea.

The project has the potential to create up to 200 jobs in an isolated part of Scotland that will be affected by the decommissioning of the NDA's Dounreay facility.  The NDA is also working with Scrabster Harbour Trust to support their plans to provide infrastructure for the emerging marine energy industry and  bring a further 300 jobs to the area over the next 10 years.

The NDA has also provided £5 million of funding towards the £20 million skills, training and education facility at Lillyhall in West Cumbria, another priority area. ENERGUS, recently opened by Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, will be a flagship academy for the National Skills Academy for Nuclear.

Other schemes receiving funding include:  tourism initiatives in Caithness, a prospective business park near Annan, maritime festival in Whitehaven, regeneration and business start-ups in South Copeland and entrepreneurship support in Wales.

Details of a range of programmes in North Wales, as well as other areas, will be announced over the coming months.