UK Taskforce Demands "Once-in-a-Generation" Nuclear Regulatory Overhaul
A government-commissioned review has warned that Britain’s nuclear expansion is being constrained by outdated regulations described as “slow, inefficient and costly.” The independent Nuclear Taskforce says urgent modernisation is needed to unlock investment, accelerate project timelines, and still uphold world-class safety standards.
Chaired by former Office of Fair Trading chief John Fingleton, the taskforce’s interim report identifies three main obstacles to faster delivery:
Overlapping regulations across multiple agencies, leading to duplicated processes and confusion
Risk-averse decision-making that adds cost and delays without proportionate safety benefits
Planning systems unprepared for new reactor technologies, including small and advanced modular reactors (SMRs and AMRs)
The review notes that these regulatory hurdles are slowing the rollout of clean energy infrastructure, increasing costs for developers, and even affecting timelines for the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme.
The findings come as the UK embarks on its largest nuclear build-out in a generation. By the 2030s, the government expects Hinkley Point C, Sizewell C and a new wave of SMRs to deliver more additional nuclear capacity to the grid than the previous 50 years combined. Officials argue this expansion will be vital for strengthening energy security, cutting reliance on fossil fuels, and meeting net-zero targets.
Key recommendations in the report include streamlining approvals to reduce duplication, aligning UK processes with international standards to cut time and costs, and improving regulator training to better assess the financial and operational impacts of delays. It also calls for a cultural shift within regulatory bodies to ensure risk management remains proportionate and supports innovation.
Ministers have pledged to work with the taskforce ahead of its final report this autumn to create a new strategic framework for the sector. The government has already introduced changes to planning rules and committed to cutting the administrative cost of regulation by 25% as part of its wider “Plan for Change” industrial strategy.
Industry figures warn that without decisive reform, Britain risks missing its nuclear build targets — undermining both energy security and its status as a clean energy leader. The final recommendations are expected to serve as a blueprint for what ministers are calling a “golden age” of nuclear power.
