Welcome to the latest community newsletter from Sizewell C, the new nuclear power station being built on the Suffolk coast.
It’s been a fantastic year so far for Sizewell C.
In July, the government gave our project the green light, which meant we could get on with delivering this project for Britain and for East Suffolk.
Our ambition is to show how infrastructure can be done differently, to ensure that this region reaps the benefits now and long into the future.
In July, we announced that we’re building a new education campus, including a post-16 college, right here in our host town of Leiston – which will transform higher education access for generations. Soon after, we announced a new £78m grantgiving charity – East Suffolk Trust (EaST) – which aims to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England.
EaST is separate from the work we’re doing to mitigate the impacts of our project – it’s about addressing the biodiversity crisis in Suffolk, putting in place funding for local environmental projects for at least the next 70 years.
Our mitigation projects are delivering too.
We’ve already compensated for 50% of the landscape impacts we’ll have over the course of the construction, and the three nature reserves we created around our site are proving to be brilliant habitats.
As we steadily ramp up construction, we know that we’ll occasionally be disruptive. We also know that traffic is a key concern. We’re working really hard with local councils, with other local infrastructure projects, and at our regular forums to make sure we minimise the impacts we have on local roads.
We’re determined to give much more than we take from East Suffolk – and that we continue to deliver more exciting opportunities and benefits across our region for years to come.
Julia Pyke and Nigel Cann, Joint Managing Directors
Sizewell C Community Fund awards radio station grant to the tune of £30,000
ABC Radio, based in Saxmundham, was awarded £30,000 from the Sizewell C Community Fund to increase its hours of transmission and broadcast live from community events.
The internet-based station was among six diverse projects to have been awarded grants in the latest round of funding, taking the total distributed to almost £2.5m since the fund was launched last year.
Administered by the Suffolk Community Foundation, the fund is open all year round and will provide up to £23m in total over the next decade.
“ We can now invest in equipment, which will not only enhance what we already do, but also help to make us future proof. It’s a real boost and all thanks to the Sizewell C Community Fund.”
Wayne Burns Director of Programming at ABC Radio
Latest Sizewell C Community Fund recipients
ABC Radio: awarded £30,000 over three years to increase its hours of transmission and broadcast live from community events.
Alde Valley Suffolk Family History Group: given almost £10,000 over three years to develop a new website.
Leiston Book Festival: awarded £54,000 to run the festival for the next three years.
Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council: given £10,000 to create an accessible path to Haylings Pond.
The Long Shop Museum: given £331,000 over three years to repair and improve the building and create new exhibits.
Suffolk Football Association: awarded almost £54,000 towards replacing the 3G pitch at Barnards Meadow in Lowestoft.
Wayne Burns, ABC Radio
Latest news
Cementing our regional investment pledge
We recently awarded a major supply contract to a Suffolk-based concrete company, creating new local jobs. The contract is part of our growing regional investment, which has already seen £330m awarded to 77 suppliers across the East of England. Eastern Concrete Limited, which has a facility in Leiston, will supply materials as part of earlystage construction work of Sizewell C.
“ This is the biggest contract I’ve ever secured and the highlight of my career. I always wanted to be involved with the construction of Sizewell C, and I’m thrilled we’re able to expand our local workforce.”
Tom Baker, Managing Director, Eastern Concrete
Broadband boost for East Suffolk towns
More than 5,000 homes can now access ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband after our local investment enabled Openreach to accelerate their build plans for the area. Residents and businesses in Leiston, Aldeburgh, Saxmundham, and Halesworth can now benefit from improved broadband speeds.
Helping to save on energy bills
We’ve funded another Energy Advice Hub to help people save money on bills. The free service, delivered by Citizens Advice East Suffolk at their Lowestoft office, will help people engage with energy providers, learn how to manage energy usage, and reduce energy loss at home. This mirrors an agreement already in place through Citizens Advice for Leiston residents.
Where there’s a mill, there’s a way
Last month, we announced a new partnership with Woodbridge Tide Mill Museum, helping to safeguard the Mill’s future for generations to come. Our three-year corporate membership is the first of its kind in the trust’s 854-year history. The Mill is the only operational tide mill in the UK still milling and selling flour.
Holiday park accommodation helps to ease pressure on local housing market
After we significantly refurbished the former Pontins holiday park at Pakefield near Lowestoft, we’ve begun offering accommodation to Sizewell C workers. We’re running a bus service from here to our construction sites, and the accommodation is another key part of our strategy to house our team and minimise the impact on the local housing market.
Tom Baker, Eastern Concrete
Chiara Saunders, Citizens Advice
New education campus in Leiston
Plans for new campus are ‘landmark moment’ for region
We’ve announced further plans to build a new education campus on the eastern edge of Leiston, including a much-needed post-16 college.
The campus will include College on the Coast, delivered in partnership with Suffolk New College, and an Apprentice Hub, which will be built on King George’s Avenue with space for 150 students, 20 full time staff, and drop-in space for 50 apprentices.
Our plans also include a purpose-built training facility designed to enhance productivity, safety, and quality in nuclear construction projects.
We shared details of the new campus at a wellattended public exhibition in July, and we’ll be submitting a planning application for the college and appprentice hub in the coming months, with courses starting in September 2027.
“The new education campus is a landmark moment for our town and its young people. For many years, students in our community have faced significant barriers when it comes to accessing high-quality post-16 education. This is a long-term investment, not just in buildings or courses, but in people.”
Dan Mayhew, director of community and partnerships at Kingfisher Schools Trust, which runs Alde Valley Academy in Leiston.
EaST
New environmental charity to invest £78m in boosting
Suffolk’s biodiversity
We’ve launched a new £78m grant-giving charity designed to make East Suffolk the most ecologically diverse and resilient area in England.
East Suffolk Trust (EaST), jointly founded by Sizewell C, East Suffolk Council, and Suffolk County Council, will receive unrestricted annual donations from Sizewell C throughout the construction and operation of the power plant.
Governed by a board of independent trustees, this pioneering charity will begin distributing funds to local organisations through a dedicated grant scheme starting next year.
By boosting biodiversity and nature recovery, EaST has the potential to become a greenprint for how major infrastructure projects can help deliver local nature recovery across the UK.
EaST’s Board of Trustees
James Alexander MBE , former trustee of RSPB and former Chair of trustees at Suffolk Wildlife Trust
Dr Zorzeta Bakaki, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Government, University of Essex
Heather Broughton MBE , former trustee of the National Lottery Heritage Fund
Professor Lynn Dicks, Professor of Ecology at the Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
Dr Stephen Mannings, Sizewell C
Clare Matterson CBE , Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society
Julian Roughton, former CEO of Suffolk Wildlife Trust
“ This is a pivotal moment for East Suffolk. We have a chance to shape the future of our landscapes, support wildlife, and build resilience in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss. We’re doing this with and for the people of Suffolk ”
Clare Matterson, EaST trustee and Director General of the Royal Horticultural Society
Main development site
Our main development site is made up of: the Main Construction Area (MCA); our Temporary Construction Area (TCA); and our Ancillary Construction Area (ACA).
Main Construction Area (MCA) and Ancillary Construction Area (ACA)
Work continues at the MCA to prepare the ground for construction. We’ve installed the first section of a 3,000m plastic cut-off walla 55-metre-deep barrier which will protect the foundations from incoming water.
At the ACA, we’re progressing well with earthworks. We’ve taken delivery of ballast and pre-assembled railway track sections ready for construction of the railway terminal which will help to bring materials on site.
Rail schemes
Temporary Construction Area (TCA)
Foundation work is now underway for both the water desalination and concrete batching plants. Meanwhile, we are pouring the foundations for our accommodation campus, and preparations continue for installing the first bridge across the Site of Special Scientific Interest - a key link between the temporary construction area and the main construction area.
The railways play a vital part in building Sizewell C – and in reducing traffic on the roads.
We’ve been making great progress on our rail works. We’ve built a new compound at Leiston Airfield, and the existing compound on Buckleswood Road will soon be used for materials management and storage.
Meanwhile, track renewal works have been taking place on the Leiston Branch Line, with a specialist machine replacing track and sleepers, improving safety and efficiency.
Sea schemes
Our relationship with the coastline is key to the project’s success.
We’ve begun constructing the northern section of the temporary sea defence. Works have been taking place at weekends, and the public footpath has remained open throughout. Marine surveys are also underway in the harbour area.
Park and Ride schemes
Our park and ride facilities will enable us to bus our teams to site and reduce traffic on local roads.
Archaeological work is now complete and site preparation has begun at both the Northern Park and Ride in Darsham and the Southern Park and Ride in Wickham Market.
Major road schemes
To safely support construction of a new roundabout by the Northern Park and Ride, a 30mph speed limit and traffic management systems are required on the A12.
We’re upgrading local roads and starting work on vital new ones for the project.
Yoxford Roundabout
Construction began in July and will be completed by mid-2026. While most of the work will take place offline, a 30mph speed limit is required along the A12 to improve safety.
Two Village Bypass
All site accesses have been established along the route of the bypass. Construction will begin once our archaeological surveys are complete. At Friday Street, the necessary vegetation has been removed, and works are set to begin by late summer.
Sizewell Link Road
All the site accesses required for the construction of the Sizewell Link Road have now been completed.
In the coming weeks, our contractor, Galliford Try, will begin setting up its compounds, establishing haul roads and moving equipment to prepare the area for construction.
We continue to prepare the western end of the road, alongside the A12, which will require temporary traffic management and reduced speed limits.
Friday Street
We’ve almost finished removing the necessary vegetation to allow construction to begin. To deliver the roundabout, we’re expanding the A12 road surface, therefore traffic management is in place on the A12.
More info on our current activity
You can get more detail on all our latest activity on our online Works Tracker, where you can sign up for activity alerts: szcworkstracker.co.uk
We issue a monthly online newsletter, outlining all the activity across all our key schemes: contact info@sizewellc.com to get it in your inbox.
Who works at Sizewell C?
In each newsletter, we spotlight some of the amazing people who work on site.
Imogen Harding, Graduate Civil Engineer
“ It’s a cornerstone of the UK’s clean energy future.”
Working for Balfour Beatty, my job involves delivering infrastructure to support rail logistics, including the construction of Buckleswood Compound - a 34,000m² site transformed from farmland into a vital logistics hub for stockpiling and transporting materials.
Since joining in September 2024, it’s been an incredible journey. A standout moment was witnessing the first train unload at Buckleswood, marking months of planning and teamwork.
The Balfour Beatty team is passionate and collaborative, and the local community has been very welcoming.
Rohan Kakar, Archaeologist
I’ve enjoyed building strong relationships with local farmers and seeing the project’s positive impact on Suffolk and the wider UK economy.
Sizewell C offers diverse opportunities across civil engineering, rail, and logistics. And I love the stunning beaches and vibrant music events in Suffolk.
Sizewell C is more than a nuclear power station — it’s a cornerstone of the UK’s clean energy future.
“ The scale of the project and the historical significance of the area make it a dream for anyone passionate about uncovering history.”
Since joining the project in April 2024, I’ve been working as an archaeologist on field investigations ahead of construction. My role involves excavating and interpreting the rich historical layers of the Suffolk coast - work that’s both challenging and deeply rewarding.
One of the most exciting discoveries has been a series of medieval hearths and ovens, unique to the region and offering rare insights into how communities lived and interacted with their environment centuries ago. These finds help preserve local heritage and connect the community with its past.
Sizewell C provides an ideal setting for archaeological work. It’s a safe, well-organised site that supports professional growth and collaboration. The scale of the project and the historical significance of the area make it a dream for anyone passionate about uncovering history.
I’ve embraced the local lifestyle - exploring nearby towns like Dunwich and Southwold, and playing football in Aldeburgh. These new hobbies have helped me build lasting friendships and feel at home in this vibrant part of Suffolk.
