Britain’s nuclear regulator has launched an eight-week consultation on revised safety principles designed to support a new generation of reactors without weakening existing protections.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation is reviewing the Safety Assessment Principles used to judge whether nuclear facilities can be built, operated and decommissioned safely.
The consultation closes on 18 September 2026, with the final principles expected to be published in December.
ONR said the update will align its approach with current legislation, international standards and changes in nuclear technology.
It also wants safety cases to become clearer, simpler and more proportionate, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining the evidence needed to demonstrate that risks are properly controlled.
The principles guide regulatory assessments across the nuclear sector, including power stations, fuel-cycle facilities, waste sites and new reactor projects.
They are likely to play an increasingly important role as developers bring forward small modular reactors, advanced nuclear technologies and major conventional plants.
New reactor designs can differ significantly from Britain’s existing nuclear fleet, using smaller units, passive safety systems, factory manufacturing and alternative fuels or cooling methods.
A more proportionate framework could allow ONR to focus regulatory effort on the most significant risks rather than applying the same level of scrutiny to every system and component.
That could help reduce duplication and make approval processes more predictable for developers, although the regulator will still need robust evidence that safety standards are being met.
The review comes as the Government seeks to accelerate nuclear deployment as part of its energy security and net zero plans.
Developers have repeatedly argued that lengthy and complex licensing processes can add cost and delay, particularly where new technologies are assessed against requirements developed around older, large-scale reactors.
However, any attempt to simplify regulation will need to maintain public confidence and avoid creating the impression that safety requirements are being diluted to speed up investment.
The consultation will give nuclear operators, technology developers, academics, workers and members of the public an opportunity to comment on the revised approach.
Key questions will include whether the new principles could shorten assessment times, how proportionality will be applied in practice and whether the changes provide enough flexibility for emerging technologies.
The final framework is expected in December and will shape how ONR assesses nuclear safety cases during a period of renewed investment in large reactors, SMRs and advanced nuclear systems.
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