LOCAL MP Ian Liddell-Grainger says the Government’s decision to pull back from giving final approval to Hinkley Point C should be interpreted as nothing more than Ministers adopting a precautionary approach.
By a slim majority, the board of EDF agreed to go ahead with the £18 billion project on Thursday afternoon, ending nine years of detailed discussions over the scheme.
Mr Liddell-Grainger, a Conservative whose Bridgwater and West Somerset constituency includes the Hinkley Point nuclear site, said he had been as surprised as anyone when the Government’s announcement came late on Thursday evening,
“But I can fully understand the thinking behind it,” he said.
“Theresa May has a well-earned reputation for her meticulous attention to detail and clearly she wants to get to grips with the deal on the table to ensure it does represent the best value for money for current and future UK taxpayers.”
Mr Liddell-Grainger said many people would feel frustrated at yet another delay for the scheme, planned to meet seven per cent of the UK’s electricity needs.
“But those of us who have been pushing for Hinkley Point C have been closely involved in the project for nine and a half years and understand it inside out: Theresa May has had just three weeks to get her head round it so it’s hardly surprising she has called for a pause.
“The important thing is that the local team and EDF are ready to provide her with as much additional information as she might need in order to come to a decision.
“It was originally intended that the final go-ahead would be jointly announced by both governments once the British and French parliaments were in session again in the autumn so in reality this does not represent any further slippage in the timetable.
“Clearly President Hollande wanted to get the French side of the deal signed off rather sooner than had been anticipated, and that has put the process somewhat out of sync.
“But I have no doubt that Hinkley Point C will go ahead and that the South West will soon begin to reap the benefits of being home to the largest civil engineering project in Europe.”