"THE village which has the Hinkley C construction site on its doorstep feels EDF is not going far enough in its measures to combat the coronavirus. On Tuesday (March 24), EDF announced that it would be looking to halve its on-site workforce to around 2,000 to continue construction of the plinths upon which the station’s twin reactors will stand, and enable better implementation of social distancing measures. However Chris Morgan, the chairman of Stogursey Parish Council, whose village neighbours the new nuclear power station site, said residents were becoming 'increasingly concerned'. In a letter to EDF, Cllr Morgan writes: "Residents of the parish are increasingly concerned that HPC contractors temporarily housed in the area, especially the village, are continuing to travel cross country to visit family at weekends, and then returning. "Many of them travelling to their homes in South Wales and the West Midlands - currently Covid-19 hotspots." Cllr Morgan states that in light of the latest guidance from the government regarding unnecessary travel and the potential spread of the virus, this position was 'unacceptable and unsustainable'."

"The Treasury will pay the wages of hundreds of workers building the £22.5bn Hinkley Point C nuclear power station as developer EDF and its contractors slash costs. Work is under way to furlough workers onto the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme where the Government will pay 80pc of their wages until the crisis recedes and they can return to work. French state-owned EDF said last week it was halving numbers at Hinkley, in Somerset, to around 2,000, to try and maintain social distancing. While some of those taken off site are continuing to work in back office roles, the burden of paying wages for hundreds of them will be transferred to the state."