The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Cwmni Egino have today (Friday 20 May) announced they will work together on proposals for the siting of a new nuclear development at Trawsfynydd, north Wales.

With the agreement of BEIS, the 2 organisations are working towards a collaboration agreement aimed at progressing plans which will ultimately support UK government’s Energy Security Strategy. 

UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said:

Our ambition for a British nuclear renaissance means a bright future for nuclear power in Wales, not only securing clean, affordable, homegrown energy but also jobs and investment at sites like Trawsfynydd.

We remain on track to realise our plan to approve eight new nuclear reactors by 2030, transforming the UK’s energy network and revitalizing decommissioned nuclear sites.

The NDA are charged with the mission to clean up the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively, with the aim of benefiting local communities and the environment, to ultimately release its 17 sites for other uses.

Cwmni Egino (CE) is a development company wholly owned by Welsh Government, established to drive future development at the Trawsfynydd site and to promote regional economic and social regeneration.

The NDA site at Trawsfynydd is home to a Magnox station which is being decommissioned by Magnox Ltd, a subsidiary of the NDA. The NDA also owns land outside the Magnox site boundary which could be used for a new nuclear development.

As part of this new arrangement, the NDA will share information about the characteristics of the available land at the Trawsfynydd site, its decommissioning plans (to support schedule and work-force planning) and support Cwmni Egino in the development of its socio-economic plans.

It will also offer an opportunity for Cwmni Egino to engage with potential developers and technology providers who wish to participate in the development of the Trawsfynydd site.   

Any formal commitment of NDA land, or other support, would require government approval via NDA’s sponsoring department BEIS.

Cwmni Egino is progressing its plans for a development at Trawsfynydd and hope to be in a position to confirm their outline business proposition within the year.    

They are also engaged with the newly created government body Great British Nuclear, led by Simon Bowen, which will bring forward new projects.

David Peattie, NDA CEO, said: 

As well as delivering our mission, we’re committed to helping the government in supporting its energy goals and our partnership with Cwmni Egino, around the potential future use of land at Trawsfynydd, is testament to our continued support of government policy and our socio-economic obligations.

Gwen Parry-Jones, Magnox Ltd CEO, added:

The formal collaboration between NDA and Cwmni Egino is fantastic news for Trawsfynydd and affirms our mission to safely clean-up the site for other uses. It also presents a significant opportunity to benefit the community around the site building on and utilising the world-leading skills and expertise of our nuclear workforce.

Alan Raymant, CEO of Cwmni Egino said:

Our relationship with NDA and Magnox is critical to the successful delivery of our vision for the development of new nuclear at Trawsfynydd. This collaboration agreement provides the foundation for a fruitful partnership that will bring benefits to the local community and help deliver the Energy Security Strategy.

The charity was registered in 1995 and operates a school providing Islamic and national curriculum education to children and young people.

The Commission’s inquiry found that the charity’s trustees were responsible for serious mismanagement and misconduct in the administration of the charity which placed its funds, property and beneficiaries at significant risk.

The inquiry was opened in 2018 after an altercation on the charity’s premises, which required the police’s intervention. It involved one of the Charity’s then trustees, who was also the school’s safeguarding lead.

As a result of the incident, the police searched the charity’s premises and seized over £400,000 in cash, which was being kept in a wooden chest on the property. The Commission has concluded that keeping charitable funds in cash and storing them unsafely was mismanagement and put the funds at risk.

The trustees were responsible for governance failures which meant that the school did not adhere to the standards expected of independent schools. Since 2013 Ofsted has rated the school, the operation of which is the charity’s primary activity, as either ‘requires improvement’ or ‘inadequate’ and highlighted governance concerns in its 2019 report. Trustees are required to ensure their charity complies with the law as it relates to the charity’s activities, in this case the independent school standards.

Over the course of the Commission’s engagement with the charity, there have been improvements in the school’s compliance with independent school standards. An Ofsted inspection in May 2021 concluded that the school met all standards examined in that inspection. Similarly, the trustees demonstrated improved internal financial controls, including moving away from a heavy reliance on the use of cash.

The Commission disqualified two former trustees and issued two other trustees with Official Warnings in relation to their conduct. The Official Warnings were issued because their conduct resulted in a breach of duty and misconduct and/or mismanagement in the Charity’s administration.

Tim Hopkins, Assistant Director of Investigations and Inquiries at the Charity Commission said:

The public rightly expect high standards of governance and integrity from charity trustees. Unfortunately, our inquiry has found the former trustees of Darul-Uloom School London did not meet those standards.

Our inquiry has taken robust action to address wrongdoing and harm, including in disqualifying two former trustees. I hope that the current trustees learn the lessons from what has happened and ensure that the charity is more securely and effectively managed so it can deliver the best possible services for its beneficiaries.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.
2. The Commission opened the inquiry on 15 June 2018. View the full inquiry report.

The project has been delivered through a collaboration between the Environment Agency, Leeds City Council and the University of Leeds.

A range of NFM measures have been used to reduce flood risk by slowing the flow of water during periods of heavy rain, increasing resilience to the 1,048 homes, 474 businesses and key infrastructure that will be better protected by the scheme, as well as other communities along the River Aire.

Bodington fields, where the triathlon centre is situated, now offers a ‘living lab’ for teaching and researching at the University of Leeds and is a centre of excellence for natural flood management measures.

Adrian Gill, Area Flood Risk Manager at the Environment Agency, said:

It’s great to see the finished product of the Natural Flood Management Programme at the Brownlee Triathlon Centre, an important component of the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme.

As the country faces a national and global climate emergency, restoring our natural environment will also help us reach net zero emissions in the future.

Not only do natural flood management techniques help make Leeds more resilient to climate change and capture tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, but they also enhance biodiversity and provide wider benefits for local wildlife.

We’re excited for visitors to see the work that has taken place at this new centre of excellence, and to learn more about how different natural solutions can be used to help reduce the risk of flooding along the River Aire.

Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Infrastructure and Climate, said:

Many of us remember the devastating flooding on Boxing Day 2015, when the River Aire burst its banks and caused damage throughout Leeds. Flooding as recently as this February also serves as a stark reminder of why the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme Phase 2 is so vital to those who live and work in the area, now and in the future. The engineering works stretching from Leeds Train Station to Apperley Bridge are key to the resilience of the city, but just as integral is the catchment wide Natural Flood Management Programme.

We all need to play our part in combating the climate emergency and the innovative NFM techniques trialled here will allow us to develop the gold standard of NFM and encourage wider use on both Leeds FAS2 and wider projects. The works will capture carbon, help us to reach our goals to combat the climate emergency, and create and preserve areas for wellbeing for our citizens and habitat for our wildlife.

Michael Howroyd, Sustainability Projects Officer at the University of Leeds, added:

The site at Bodington Fields will be invaluable to academics and students, providing hands on research opportunities and data, whilst also providing benefits for local residents, biodiversity and climate.

The project is a fantastic example of how collaboration across stakeholders can make use of University land as a living lab for world class research and teaching, which will have an impact across the wider city region and beyond.

Woodland and tree planting make up a proportion of the NFM measures used, including the planting of 5,000 trees. The trees help to not only to act as a shield to stop and slow rainfall before it reaches the ground, but they also increase carbon capture and storage capacity and provide valuable habitats for local wildlife.

Among the other features installed are leaky wood dams and a balancing pond, which hold flood water during high rainfall to reduce the risk of flooding. Wetland scrapes and cross-track drains have also been created to store water away from more vulnerable areas, such as local drainage systems, that may otherwise overflow and cause flood damage.