To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that future nuclear power stations have aesthetic appeal.

Section 4.5 of the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy and section 2.8 of the Nuclear National Policy Statement set out the Government’s views on consideration of good design in making proposals for major energy infrastructure, including new nuclear power stations. In doing so, the Overarching Energy NPS states that “high quality and inclusive design goes far beyond aesthetic considerations”. The Planning Inspectorate will take the NPSs into account in considering applications for development.

The Energy NPSs are available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-policy-statements-for-energy-infrastructure.