Work begins in Suffolk preparing new Sizewell C roundabout site

Work has started preparing the site for a new roundabout which Sizewell C bosses hoped would reduce traffic congestion and improve safety during construction.

Land beside the A12 at Yoxford, in Suffolk, is being cleared of vegetation to make way for the new junction with the B1122 road, with work expected to start early next year.

An investment decision into the nuclear power plant still has not been made and one nearby resident said the clearance work amounted to "a desecration of the countryside".

A Sizewell C spokesperson said: "We've started preparatory work for a new roundabout which will have a long-term benefit for the area, significantly improving safety on a part of the road that is known locally as a risk for drivers."

Yoxford resident Diane Flowitt-Hill said: "I just think it's so awful how much of the landscape is changing. It's being desecrated and they're pulling down trees like there's no tomorrow.

"The funding for Sizewell C is still not there and the roundabout would not be needed if it wasn't for the prospect of the big increase in traffic for this area."

A Sizewell C spokesperson said: "As part of permanent highway improvements to safely accommodate our construction traffic, we've started preparatory work for a new roundabout at the junction of the A12 and B1122 east of Yoxford.

"We've begun vegetation clearance on the site, with traffic management in place for a three-day period until 31 October and only during off-peak hours.

"Once the clearance is complete, we'll be following up this year with archaeology and utilities work, and we'll be looking to start construction early in 2025.

"We're working hard to reduce the impact of the work on local road users and the roundabout has been designed so that it can be principally built without affecting the normal operation of the A12, minimising the amount of traffic management."

Earlier this year the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the government was committed to the project but did not comment on when a decision on the funding would be made when asked by the BBC.

The official cost of Sizewell C has been put at £20bn and the project will be partly funded by French energy company EDF.

A spokesperson for Sizewell said at the time the project continued "to make good progress on all fronts, including financing".