Feb 2016: The solution is to crack on with renewables: The dire financial state of our local authorities is not only caused by the severe reduction of government support but also the fact that EDF is demanding huge business rate rebates for Hinkley Point B. More >>>

01 Apr 2015: Anti-nuclear protest at Hinkley Point: Anti-nuclear protestors have been staging a sit-down protest near Hinkley Point in Somerset. More >>>

05 Dec 12: EDF's decision to extend the life of Hinkley B 'raises safety concerns': Hinkley Point B is now set to remain operational until 2023 instead of ceasing power generation in 2016 as planned. More >>>

22 May 12: Nuclear reactor reprieve puts UK energy plans in doubt: Office for Nuclear Regulation in talks to extend life of aging power stations earmarked for closure. More >>>

16 May 12: Fire put out at Hinkley Point B nuclear power station: Firefighters were called to a fire at the Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset. More >>>

19 Mar 12: UK reactor Hinkley Point B-8 stops output: EDF Energy, Britain's biggest nuclear power producer, stopped output from its 480 megawatt (MW) Hinkley Point B-8 nuclear reactor on Sunday due to an unplanned outage, it said. More >>>

25 Aug 09: MP reveals coolant leaks at Hinkley B: THERE have been 12 leaks and four fires at Hinkley B power station since 2001, it emerged this week. The information was released by a parliamentary under-secretary in the Department of Energy and Climate Change, in response to a question about fires and leaks at all of Britain's nuclear power stations. More >>>

23 Jul 09: Hinkley workers in radiation scare: A CORRIDOR inside Hinkley Point B power station became contaminated exposing eight workers to radiation. The eight contractors were working in the shutdown R3 Reactor on Thursday carrying out valve replacement works when a corridor in the gas bypass plant was polluted. More >>>

02 Jun 08: SERIOUS RISKS IN NUCLEAR INDUSTRY: Nigel Cann's reactor has not been "generating electricity safely" for its 32-year life. Accidental releases of radiation have occurred throughout that time. More>>>

19 May 08: N-POWER PLANT FUTURE IN DOUBT?: The Westcountry's nuclear power station is still operating well below capacity because of cracked pipes. It emerged in December 2006 that Hinkley Point B in Somerset needed urgent repairs to boiler pipes. Confirmation that the faults will continue to drastically impinge on the output of the station until the plant is expected to close in 2016 could have implications for the promised future expansion of nuclear energy in the region, warn campaigners. More>>>

15 May 08: KEPT IN DARK ABOUT POWER STATION SAFETY: As a local resident, I have always been assured that a meltdown accident could never happen at Hinkley Point because of the built-in safety systems in the British AGR reactors. I am therefore dismayed to hear that the important last resort safety system is missing at Hinkley Point B power station. More>>>

09 May 08: NUCLEAR STATION FACES SHUTDOWN OVER SAFETY: SCOTLAND 'S oldest nuclear power station is at the centre of fresh safety fears after it was revealed it may be impossible to shut down its reactors in an emergency. Nuclear inspectors admit that a vital shut-down mechanism at Hunterston B in Ayrshire is not in place. It is estimated the cost of making the shut-down systems safe at Hunterston B and its sister plant, Hinkley Point B in Somerset, could be upwards of £100million. More>>>>

08 May 08: Hinkley Point's nuclear reactor 'tripped' on Thursday morning: One of the nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point power station, near Burnham-On-Sea, has been shut down after unexpectedly "tripping" on Thursday morning (May 8th) following an "engineering issue." More>>>>

17 Mar 08: ANGER OVER FUTURE OF POWER STATION: There was anger yesterday after it emerged Somerset's nuclear power station at Hinkley Point could be about to fall into foreign hands. More>>>>>

06 Feb 08: FEARS OVER N-PLANT'S BOILER SYSTEM: Anti-nuclear campaigners have called for a safety inspection of Hinkley Point power station amid fears its boiler system may be in need of repair. More>>>>>

04 Feb 08: British Energy plans more nuclear plant stoppages: British Energy will inspect three more reactors at its Hunterston B and Hinkley Point nuclear power stations later this year after stopping one unit over the weekend for boiler checks. Hunterston and Hinkley Point were shut down all last winter for boiler repairs and have been running at just 60-70 percent of their capacity since being reopened last spring. More>>>>>

12 Dec 07: MIXED FEELINGS AS HINKLEY GETS FIVE MORE YEARS: Nuclear firm British Energy has sparked jubilation and outrage by extending the life of Somerset 's Hinkley B power station for at least five years. Unions yesterday joined the company in celebrating the news as being good for jobs at the plant, which is one of the county's biggest employers. But anti-nuclear campaigners said they still had concerns about the site, which had been due to close in 2011 but would now continue until at least 2016. More>>>>>

11 Dec 07: Hinkley power until 2016: NEWS that Hinkley Point B will now be able to generate electricity until 2016 has been both welcomed and criticised this week. The announcement was made after owners British Energy confirmed it had completed the necessary technical and economic evaluation to see the plant extend its lifespan. More>>>>>

26 Oct 07: Fresh calls for nuclear power station near to Burnham-On-Sea to close: Anti-nuclear campaigners have this week backed calls by a top nuclear consultant for the immediate closure of Hinkley Point power station, near Burnham-On-Sea. The calls came after a regulator's report stated that Hinkley's reactor core support system is 'potentially unsafe'. More>>

08 May 07: Hinkley B given clean bill of health: HINKLEY Point B power station has been given a clean bill of health and licensed for the next ten years, despite the continuing safety concerns of anti-nuclear campaigners and the NII's criticisms of Hinkley over an apparent shortage of some of the information.

05 May 07: 10 MORE YEARS OF POWER IS PLANNED FOR NUCLEAR STATION: Hinkley Point nuclear power station could continue in operation for another 10 years, it was revealed this week - and Stop Hinkley campaigners are furious. They have branded the life extension from industry regulator the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate as 'outrageous' and questioned if political motives were at play.

04 May 07: CAMPAIGNERS' HINKLEY SHOCK: Anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned a new bill of health for Hinkley Point power station as "outrageous". The Western Daily Press revealed how the plant has been passed a safety review valid until 2017, providing a programme of works is carried out. This has opened the door to the power station having a life extension beyond its scheduled closing date of 2011.

06 Apr 07: OLDBURY SET TO BE SWITCHED ON IN THE SUMMER: Hinkley Point B could also get green light within weeks though only for one of its two reactors. The West's two remaining nuclear power stations could be back online by the summer, it emerged yesterday.

07 Mar 07: Campaigners slam Hinkley reopening ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners have condemned proposals to reopen Hinkley B nuclear power station after repairs taking six months. Operators British Energy closed the power station in September after cracks were discovered in pipes in the boiler system of one of Hinkley B's two reactors.

30 Dec 06: HINKLEY B TO STAY SHUT UNTIL MARCH   Hinkley Point B nuclear power station will remain shut down until March. One reactor was shut down in September for maintenance and when cracks were found in boiler tubes the second one was also shut down so checks could be made.

21 Dec 06: More outages at British Energy's nuclear plants.  Just as the market was beginning to think that British Energy was finally turning the corner, the company has come out and dashed everyone's hopes again after admitting yesterday that it faced a "worst case scenario" at two of its ageing nuclear power stations that will wipe £100m from its profits.

16 Dec 06: HINKLEY POWER PROBLEMS.  The Westcountry's only nuclear power station will not be running at full power until at least March 2008, it emerged last night. Two reactors at Hinkley Point B have been out of action for two months after cracks were found in reactor pipes.

05 Dec 06: Heading for a nuclear blackout? (BBC File on 4) The shut down of six nuclear reactors has dealt a massive blow to British Energy. Twenty-four percent was knocked off the company's shares when it emerged earlier this year cracks had been found in the pipes at Hinkley Point power station in Somerset.

23 Nov 06: War of words on Hinkley restart.  HINKLEY Point B has "no restart date", according to its parent company British Energy this week, in response to criticism levelled at the plant. Protest group Stop Hinkley released a statement on Monday commenting on the announcement made by British Energy about when it hoped the station would be up and running again.

26 Oct 06: Time running out fast for oldest nuclear plants, warn inspectors. Watchdog raises safety fear over core cracks and Minister starts search for deep waste bunker.  The future of some of Britain's ageing nuclear power stations was yesterday thrown into doubt as government inspectors claimed cracks in the graphite cores of the oldest plants were so serious that a safety case for the stations operating much longer could not be made.  In a separate development, the government yesterday announced that it was looking for a site for a deep bunker to store Britain's mountain of high-level nuclear waste.

26 Oct 06: Two nuclear reactors are closed Questions are being raised about the future of Hinkley Point B nuclear power station in Somerset. Both its advanced gas-cooled reactors are currently shut down and a campaign group has said it may never open again. Problems at the plant include cracks in a reactor's graphite core, and cracks in boiler pipes, which are currently being repaired by engineers.

24 Oct 06: Calls to close Hinkley Point. SOMERSET'S troubled Hinkley Point power station must never open again, anti-nuclear protestors warned this week. Both the station's advanced gas-cooled reactors are currently shut down due to cracks in a reactor's graphite core and deterioration of boiler pipes.

21 Oct 06: REACTOR SHUTDOWNS SPARK NEW CALLS TO CLOSE HINKLEY POINT Calls for Hinkley Point B nuclear power station to be closed for good were renewed after the announcement that the second of its reactor is to be shut down temporarily for safety checks. When the other of the stations two reactors was shut down in September for maintenance, cracks were found in boiler tubes in the reactor.

19 Oct 06: Slow death for nuclear plant? HINKLEY Point B nuclear power station is to shut down after cracks in one of the reactors were found to be worse than first thought. Jubilant anti-nuclear campaigners have claimed the move could signal the end of Hinkley Point.

18 Oct 06: SHUTDOWN AT HINKLEY B AS REACTOR PIPES CRACK Anti-nuclear campaigners have called for the Westcountry's only nuclear power station to be closed for good - after serious cracks were discovered in reactor pipes. They warned that the cracks were a sign that the ageing plant, which is due to be decommissioned in five years, had come to the end of its useful life.

12 Oct 06: Campaigners demand nuclear plant shut-down ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners have demanded the permanent closure of Hinkley B power station after cracks in boiler tubes were found in one of the plant's reactors.

20 Jul 06: N-PLANT REACTOR SHUTDOWN WORRIES  More safety concerns have been raised over the Hinkley B nuclear power station after a malfunction in one of its control rods forced it to shut down for more than 72 hours.

06 Jul 06: More checks on reactors ordered after cracks found The government's nuclear watchdog has demanded that British Energy carry out more frequent checks on its nuclear power stations amid concerns over cracks in the reactors' cores, it emerged yesterday. The Nuclear Safety Directorate (NSD) wrote to British Energy urging it to step up inspections after an assessment of the Hinkley Point B advanced gas-cooled (AGR) nuclear plant in April.

05 Jul 06: Documents reveal hidden fears over Britain's nuclear plants Unexplained cracks in the reactor cores of Britain's atomic power stations have been uncovered by nuclear inspectors. The safety assessments, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show the Nuclear Safety Directorate has issued warnings over the state of the reactor cores at Hinkley Point B and other UK nuclear plants.

05 Jul 06: Hinkley 'close to cracking up' Shock report by safety watchdogs. Unexplained cracks in reactor cores increase likelihood of accident, say government nuclear inspectors who have raised serious questions over the safety of Britain's ageing atomic power stations, some of which have developed major cracks in their reactor cores. Wear and tear on the reactors' graphite blocks is highlighted in previously unseen documents.

05 Jul 06: Cracks found at nuclear stations Unexplained cracks in the reactor cores of Britain's atomic power stations have been uncovered by nuclear inspectors. The safety assessments, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, show the Nuclear Safety Directorate has issued warnings over the state of the reactor cores at Hinkley Point B and other UK nuclear plants.

07 Feb 06: AN UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR HINKLEY. Anti-nuclear campaigners staged an alternative birthday party to "commiserate" over the 30th birthday of Hinkley B nuclear power station. As they gathered around a mock-up of the power station, they said their dearest birthday wish was to see the plant closed down.