Hinkley Point
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hinkley Point is a headland on the Bristol Channel coast of Somerset, England, five miles north of Bridgwater and five miles west of Burnham-on-Sea, close to the mouth of the River Parrett.
The landscape of Hinkley Point is dominated by two nuclear power stations:
- Hinkley Point A - Magnox (now closed)
- Hinkley Point B - AGR
The exposed location of Hinkley Point meant that it was considered ideal for wind generation. However a proposal to build 12 wind turbines close to the site of the nuclear power stations was turned down in October 2005 [1]. The reason given by the local council for the rejection was safety fears over what would happen were a turbine blade to detach and hit the nuclear plant.
Hinkley Point adjoins the Bridgwater Bay SSSI [2] and nature reserve [3], and is a popular location for birdwatching and fossil hunting [4]. A visitors centre at the nuclear power station gives access to a nature trail which features plants, birds and butterflies [5].
[edit] References
- ^ Wind turbine farm plans rejected. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Bridgwater Bay SSSI. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Bridgwater Bay Natural Area. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Hinkley Point Fossils and Fossil Collecting. UK Fossils Network. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Hinkley Point Nature Trail to reopen. British Energy. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
