'Radical reset’ needed to simplify UK nuclear regulation, claims industry review

The regulatory review (PDF 162pages/30.6mb) warns that the UK is currently the most expensive place to develop nuclear projects anywhere in the world. It makes 47 recommendations for the UK government if it is to make progress on using nuclear technology and innovation in solving energy crises and boosting growth.

It found that the current regulatory environment around nuclear developments was overly complex, proposing a merger of the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator and Office for Nuclear Regulation and the creation of a single, unified decision-making body, the Commission on Nuclear Regulation, to act as a one-stop shop which can oversee regulatory decisions in the sector.

Michael Freeman, a nuclear regulatory expert with Pinsent Masons, said the review showed the need for a clearer direction from the government to increase confidence in the industry.

“The premise upon which the findings of the Taskforce are based is undoubtedly correct – nuclear regulation in the UK is complex, multi-faceted, and reflects a multitude of legal and policy instruments which have built up over decades, including in response to incidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima,” he said.

“The recommendations of the Taskforce are bold and express at their core a need for greater strategic direction from the UK government, both generally to galvanise increased confidence in the sector, and also to guide regulatory bodies on how to approach decision-making.

“The Taskforce’s recommendation that the UK government issues statutory directions to the ONR and the Environment Agency on the interpretation of ‘ALARP’ (as low as reasonably practicable) is particularly interesting in this regard.

Reform of the regulation process to cut down on bureaucracy and focus on safety would cut energy costs for consumers and save billions in nuclear decommissioning costs, the report also claims.

John Fingleton, chair of the independent taskforce which compiled the report, described the chance to revamp the country’s nuclear industry as a ‘once in a generation opportunity’.

“The problems are systemic, rooted in unnecessary complexity, and a mindset that favours process over outcome,” he said. “Our solutions are radical, but necessary. By simplifying regulation, we can maintain or enhance safety standards while finally delivering nuclear capacity safely, quickly, and affordably.”

The review calls on the political leadership in the UK to issue a strategic steer for the nuclear industry by the end of January 2026, setting its realignment as a national priority, and the creation of a nuclear commission to oversee the industry as a unified decision maker across the regulatory and planning frameworks – in line with similar models in the USA, Japan and France.

Fingleton’s group also warned the regulatory system is stymieing development, claiming it suffers from risk aversion and using overly complex procedures that reduce accountability, calling for more proportionality and aligning with international standards on radiological rules.

It also calls on changes to the planning process to reduce the approval issues surrounding developments, and greater digital tools, such as AI, to be introduced into the safety process.

The review, which comes ahead of the UK’s budget, was welcomed by the sector, with the Nuclear Industry Association’s Tom Greatrex adding: “This report presents an unprecedented opportunity to make nuclear regulation more coherent, transparent and efficient, in turn making projects faster and less expensive to deliver.

“Too often, costly and bureaucratic processes have stood in the way of our  energy security , the fight against the climate crisis, and protecting the natural environment, to which nuclear is essential. Our standards of regulation are world renowned, but our processes have sometimes developed in a piecemeal way. The UK ’s nuclear sector has a strong safety record, and these recommendations will ensure that continues to be the case while addressing duplication, contradiction and excess complexity.”

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has also welcomed the Taskforce’s final report, and said that it is “ready to implement recommendations that remove any unnecessary burden from the regulatory framework, while maintaining rigorous safety standards”.

Freeman said the focus following the report would be on how the Government followed up the taskforce’s recommendations.

“The findings of the Taskforce will undoubtedly be welcomed by the sector,” he said.

“All eyes are now on the UK government to see how it responds. Positive steps have been made by the Government in recent months, particularly with the publication of the final EN-7 framework for nuclear planning decisions and the selection of Wylfa as the proposed site for the development of Rolls Royce SMR technology.

“Hopefully momentum can be maintained with a response which embraces the recommendations.”