NDA galvanises cultural shift across nuclear sector

Official release

On 16 September, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) brought senior leaders from across the nuclear sector together in Manchester to galvanise action on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce (NRTF) review recommendations, unlocking a golden age of nuclear.

Leaders discussed how they’ll collectively accelerate delivery of the review’s recommendations, capitalising on a once-in-a generation opportunity to realise the sector’s full potential.

The Review was commissioned by the government, led by economist John Fingleton, to look at how to modernise and strengthen the UK’s nuclear regulatory system with the ultimate aim of delivering faster and cheaper progress through a more proportionate approach to risk and accelerating delivery.

Senior representatives in attendance spanned across the nuclear lifecycle, from defence, decommissioning, new build, government, regulators and the supply chain.

David Peattie, NDA Group CEO and host of the event, said:

There were speakers from across the NDA group, government, Rolls Royce SMR, EDF, Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency, and a roundtable session in which attendees discussed the conditions that will enable change,

The review has attracted significant support from the Government, and the Chancellor specifically, in recognition of the huge benefits reforms have potential to deliver.

Recommendations centre around two broad objectives. Firstly, to reinvigorate the sector through more proportionate, risk-based decision-making and simplifying complex regulatory structures to enable faster, clearer decision-making and strengthen accountability.

Secondly to streamline planning and environmental assessments, reducing duplication and increasing proportionality to avoid programmes being delayed by unnecessary bureaucracy, while still maintaining the highest standards of safety, security and environmental protection.

The NDA is the organisation tasked by government with cleaning up the UK’s former nuclear sites – one of the most complex challenges faced by the sector.

In a recent response to the Chancellor regarding the review, the NDA group outlined a number of immediate and longer-term actions it intends to take to implement the recommendations including:

You can read the NDA’s full response to the Chancellor here: NDA Group response to the Chancellor of the Exchequer regarding implementation of the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review - GOV.UK

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Source: UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero ↗ · Updated 17 Sep 2026, 4:36 pm IST