Nuclear South West rises again

Last week, SEC Newgate was delighted to support the relaunch of Nuclear South West (NSW) to deliver an engaging morning of discussion in Taunton.  

2026 marks the 18th year that SEC Newgate has been working with Hinkley Point C, firstly on the consultation of the original Development Consent Order, and then supporting the project in its construction phase on all stakeholder engagement, enquiry management and further consultation rounds.  

The event was opened by Somerset Council, followed by a keynote address from the new independent Chair of Nuclear South West, Jay Bhart. Jay set out the vision for the cluster’s future, highlighting the region's strengths and the opportunities that lay ahead for the sector. 

We then welcomed Helen Perthen, Chief Commercial Officer of Great British Energy – Nuclear (GBE N) who discussed the UK’s nuclear heritage and the organisation’s priority focus on identifying future sites for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), and explained the timelines and opportunities related to the development of the first SMR at Wylfa on Anglesey. 

There was a lively discussion and Helen said that one of GBE N’s key priorities will be working with regional clusters to maximise visibility of these opportunities and identify where supply‑chain gaps can be filled locally. 

SEC Newgate’s Drew Aspinwall presented findings from our research ‘The Nuclear Divide,’ diving into public perception of nuclear as an energy source and attitudes to new nuclear. There was a discussion about the challenge of providing credible information and education around nuclear energy generation, and how acceptance varies on demographics, and how Somerset’s perception may differ from other regions in its awareness in seeing the benefits of building new nuclear. Attendees were keen to hear how our experience of stakeholder engagement for Hinkey Point C and Sizewell C can be built upon when it comes to SMRs going forward.  

Dame Judith Petts (from the Great South West) then launched the Great South West’s New Nuclear Future Prospectus. The document highlights the region’s unique strengths, licensed sites, a skilled and mobile workforce and a resilient supply chain that has already supported billions of pounds of investment. 

The event concluded with two panel sessions, the first chaired by Andrew Cockcroft from Hinkley Point C on the theme of ‘Securing Energy, Driving Growth’, where panellists emphasised the need to showcase existing regional strengths and improve collaboration across organisations. Calling for a unified regional voice to support the UK’s energy goals and to strengthen the region’s position as a green energy leader. Nuclear South West’s role was highlighted as having a major part to play in shaping a regional skills strategy with the key theme being to share lessons learned from Hinkley Point C to build regional capability and unlock future opportunities. 

The second session was chaired by Matthew Williams from SEC Newgate looking at ‘What Next?’ for Nuclear South West. Jay Bhart called for clearer communication, aligned priorities, and the creation of a strong, expert-led NSW Board. Somerset Council’s Corinne Matthews stressed that ensuring a strong legacy through upskilling, maximising opportunities, and transitioning capability into new regional projects were all points to focus on. She highlighted the region’s success at Hinkley Point C and its role in attracting major investment, which should now be promoted further. 

Andrew Cockcroft emphasised that capturing lessons learned and noted the region’s unique capability in delivering major infrastructure. He warned that without action, investment and momentum could be lost.  

The event closed with a final call to action from Jay Bhart, highlighting that Nuclear South West can help ensure skills, knowledge, and opportunities flow into future projects and encouraged everyone to get involved and play an active role in building the next chapter for Nuclear South West. 

Pictures courtesy of John Lambert.