The UK is set to ease the rules around where nuclear power plants can be built in a bid to revitalise the sector and put Britain back in the global race for nuclear energy.

More nuclear power plants will be approved across England and Wales as prime minister Keir Starmer cuts red tape to get Britain building – as part of his “plan for change”.

Reforms to planning rules will clear a path for small modular reactors (SMRs) to be built for the first time in the UK. This will create thousands of new highly skilled jobs while delivering clean, secure and more affordable energy for working people, the government’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) said.