The Isle of Anglesey County Council favours an equal mix of purpose built, rented and tourist accommodation to house construction workers should a new nuclear power station get the go-ahead.
In September 2010 DTZ Consultants were commissioned to undertake a Construction Workers Accommodation Study for the proposed Wylfa New Nuclear Build.
The aim of the study was to formulate a justified ‘Position Statement’ for the County Council, identifying how the opportunities and challenges associated with Wylfa construction workers should be met.
Anglesey Energy Island Programme Director, Sasha Wynn Davies, explained, “To put the scale of the proposed new nuclear build at Wylfa into perspective, peak construction would occur in around 2017 resulting in approximately 6,000 construction workers being on site.”
“This study is therefore crucial to inform our position with regards to construction workers accommodation. Without a clear, justified and evidence based Position Statement, it would be extremely difficult for us to influence the developer to ensure that the long term socio-economic benefits for the Island are maximised.”
Five options were developed and appraised to assess their ability to accommodate the needs of construction workers at Wylfa. The five options were scored against a range of relevant appraisal criteria and were subject to a number of stakeholder consultations.
The preferred option was identified as being a Mixed Accommodation Approach which concluded as follows:
- 1/3 of workers accommodated in purpose built accommodation (a minimum on-site to meet operational requirements but the majority off-site)
- 1/3 in private rented accommodation (mix of new and existing)
- 1/3 in tourist accommodation (mix of new and existing)
Sasha Wynn Davies added, “This option was identified as the preferred position as it supports a number of cross cutting themes; it ensures that the legacy is sustainable, after the construction period ends, it encourages and controls an appropriate development mix, it increases accommodation choice for workers and residents and it is also flexible enough to respond to market conditions and demands.”
The Position Statement was approved by Anglesey’s Board of Commissioners earlier this year and is now the Isle of Anglesey County Council’s adopted Policy Position in terms of housing Wylfa construction workers (this is subject to change if and when new information becomes available).
