With its rolling hills, vast lakes, and rugged scenery, Anglesey is a breathtaking site for locals and the millions of tourists who pass through every year.

But towering over some of the much-visited summer cafés, green parks, and rocky mountains are the remains of a concrete jungle.

Located west of Cemaes Bay on the island of Anglesey, Wylfa nuclear power station pumped electricity into millions of homes for 44 years until it was decommissioned at the end of 2015.

Simmering under the surface have been long-proposed plans for a new nuclear power station, known as Wylfa Newydd.

The £14bn project has been hailed by some as crucial to the economic development of Anglesey, with the ability to bring up to 9,000 jobs into one of the most deprived areas in Wales.

But since its announcement it has been met with a mixture of hope, optimism, and concern from campaigners and local politicians.

It has also been dogged by delays and uncertainty in the decade since it was confirmed Wylfa would get a new nuclear plant.

But a conclusion may be drawing nearer. A decision on a development consent order (DCO) application is due to arrive by September 30 from the UK Government, which would allow a nuclear development on the site.

While funding remains another issue that decision is seen as crucial in deciding the fate of Wylfa Newydd. But as we approach possible clarity on a long-proposed and controversial project, what do those closest to the project think?

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People Against Wylfa B (or Pawb, meaning 'everyone' in Welsh) was set up in the late 1980s and opposes the establishment of a new nuclear plant in north Wales.

One of its leading members, Robat Idris, explained that the history of nuclear power's prominence in the Anglesey region goes back more than 60 years.

"The development of the UK nuclear programme was part of the Cold War strategy of the government at the time," he said.

"The Thatcher government wanted to start a programme of building nuclear reactors, which were then shelved. At the time there was strong opposition across the political parties, except the Tories, to nuclear in Wales."

Having been off the agenda for many years, nuclear energy came back with a vengeance when in May 2006 then-Prime Minister Tony Blair endorsed a new generation of nuclear power stations across the UK, citing concerns over climate change and the need to update energy security.

"The political establishment in north and west Wales didn't resist the plan for new plants in the region, which is where we get to Wylfa Newydd," Mr Idris said.

"The project was seen as a saviour of Anglesey and north Wales and that had a knock-on effect. Firstly, when there is an expectation that something is going to happen, there is the notion that there's no need for an economic plan B. What if it doesn't happen?

"That then drives the development for all of north Wales, so you have things like the North Wales Growth Deal" from the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, which sought to capitalise on investments like Wylfa.

"Gwynedd and Anglesey councils' joint local development plans were also based mainly on the Wylfa project.

"We thought there needed to be two plans; one for if Wylfa happened and one if it didn't. It shows a remarkable lack of different thinking. Nobody is coming up with any other sensible proposal for jobs matching people with the skills in the region."

When Horizon Nuclear Power, a consortium set up to lead the project, came on board in 2009, it was proposed that up to 9,000 jobs would be created in Anglesey. The reality, Mr Idris suggested, was a bit different.

"Their own report suggests less than 34% would be local. So you would have a lot of people coming in temporarily, which puts a big strain on police forces, health, schools and the community.

"It's also not a good thing to have only one major employer in an area. The more embedded one company is in the region, the more people are afraid to speak up or complain if they are not happy."

But the concerns shared by Pawb go deeper than local politics and economics. The dangers associated with nuclear power are well-documented.

Despite being more than 2,000 miles away, farms over 53,000 hectares in north Wales felt the effects of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, with many restrictions placed on farms due to radioactive particles in the soil and vegetation.

This threatened livelihoods across Wales for decades. Some restrictions in areas like Snowdonia were only lifted as recently as 2012.

Often smaller incidents at nuclear stations are not reported on a national scale or are discovered belatedly. At the Sellafield nuclear site, off the coast of Cumbria, between 1950 and 2000 there were 21 incidents or accidents involving off-site radiological releases that warranted a rating on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

"Historical effects like Chernobyl and Fukushima show that if things go wrong they go wrong dramatically," Mr Idris said.

"With capitalist extractive models you take what you want and leave the rest. Even though nothing has been built yet there has already been changes to the topography of the area – flattening of hills and demolishing of houses and purchasing of land from farmers."

While proponents of the nuclear industry often cite nuclear as low-carbon, there is a sizeable commitment involved in having a power plant. The old Wylfa plant shut in 2015 but demolition of reactor buildings and final site clearance is planned for 2096 to 2101.

"We have concerns about the idea that nuclear energy is low-carbon. But it is only low-carbon in the actual production – not in the building and construction, mining of uranium, or other elements," Mr Idris said.

"There is also an unknown element to the decommissioning process – you are talking about centuries after production stops before a site is safe."

Time Line

The long history of nuclear power in Wales

  1. July 1959 - work begins on Wales' first nuclear power station

    A consortium, Atomic Power Constructions (APC), begins work on a nuclear power station in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd.

    Costing £103m, both reactors are operational by March 1965, with Trawsfynydd nuclear power station, named after the nearby village, opening fully in October 1968.

  2. 1963 - construction of Wylfa nuclear power station begins

    Construction of Wales' second nuclear power station begins, located just west of Cemaes Bay in Anglesey.

    Wylfa's two Magnox reactors become operational in 1971.

  3. 1991 - Trawsfynydd nuclear power station closes

    Trawsfynydd nuclear power station closes down. The decommissioning process is expected to take almost 100 years.

  4. July 2006 - Owners announce the station will shut in 2010

    Wylfa owners the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announce that Wylfa will close in 2010 to enable the closure and decommissioning of the Magnox spent fuel reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria.

  5. January 2008 - new nuclear plants get government go-ahead

    Then-business secretary John Hutton tells MPs there will be a new generation of reactors built near existing sites in the UK. He says new reactors will be built by private firms and will give a "safe and affordable" way of securing the UK's future energy supplies while fighting climate change.

  6. May 2009 - consortium wins auction to build on Wylfa site

    Horizon Nuclear Power, a 50/50 consortium between energy company E.ON UK and RWE, is successful in its bids to build at least six GW of new nuclear build at Wylfa and at Oldbury in Gloucestershire.

  7. 2010 - Wylfa earmarked as a site for a new nuclear power plant

    Wylfa is identified as one of eight sites earmarked for the development of new nuclear power plants, along with the shut-down Trawsfynynwydd site.

  8. 2010 - Extension announced

    The NDA announces an extension to the timeline for Wylfa's closure, saying it will instead close in 2012, beyond its 40th anniversary as a power station.

  9. March 2012 - E.ON, RWE pull plug on projects

    Following separate strategic reviews, E.ON and RWE decide not to continue with the development of new nuclear power plants in the UK, citing the cost of Germany's nuclear phase-out.

  10. April 25, 2012 - Reactor Two ceases to operate

    The end of generating electricity at Wylfa Reactor Two ceases five days early, being shut down for the last time at 7.02pm.

  11. October 2012 - new company takes over the Horizon project

    Japan's Hitachi signs a £700m deal giving it rights to build a new generation of power plants by buying Horizon Nuclear Power from E.ON and RWE, reviving the prospects for a new power station at Wylfa.

  12. September 2014 - Another extension

    A last-minute decision from the Office for Nuclear Regulation allows Wylfa's Reactor One to stay open until December 31, 2015.

  13. December 30, 2015 - Wylfa's Reactor One shut down

    Reactor One at Wylfa is shut down for the last time, ending 44 years of operation at the site.

  14. June 2018 - Horizon submits application to planning inspectorate for Wylfa Newydd

    Horizon Nuclear Power submits a development consent order (DCO) application for the Wylfa Newydd project to the UK government's planning inspectorate, which will decide whether or not to allow a nuclear project on the site.

  15. January 2019 - Plan is suspended

    Doubts are raised about the future of the project after it emerges that there is a dispute between the parent company Hitachi and the UK government over funding.

    On January 17, 2019, Hitachi announces it will "suspend" work on the Wylfa project. Duncan Hawthorne, chief executive of Horizon Nuclear Power, says: "We will take steps to reduce our presence but keep the option to resume development in future."

  16. October 2019 - Decision on consent order is delayed

    The UK Government delays a decision on the DCO application for the project, with then-business secretary Andrea Leadsom saying more information is being sought on environmental factors and other aspects of the proposal.

  17. April 2020 - Decision delayed again

    The UK Government's decision on the DCO is again delayed, this time until September, with it saying "an additional period of time is required" to consider outstanding issues.

  18. June 2020 - Trump wades in

    Hitachi denies there are any plans to sell the Wylfa site to a Chinese corporation.

    It follows reports that the Donald Trump administration has urged Hitachi not to sell "to China" as part of the US's ongoing trade dispute with the country.

  19. September 30, 2020 - A decision on the DCO?

    The UK Government is due to announce a decision on the DCO by September 30. It is seen as crucial to the future of the project.

The fact remains that Anglesey is one of the poorest areas in the UK. The most recent statistics from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) in 2017 found the region had the lowest gross value added (GVA), which measures how much money is generated through goods produced and services delivered, in the whole of the UK

It is no surprise that a promise of so many jobs could attract considerable support among locals and public representatives.

Carwyn Jones, a Plaid Cymru councillor for the Isle of Anglesey County Council, is cabinet member for major projects and economic development. He said the Wylfa project is crucial for an area which has been severely impacted by the loss of industry.

"I am born and bred in Anglesey and I have lived with a power station in the area all my life. I have family members and friends who have worked at Wylfa and it has been a vital source of income for them and their incomes over the years.

"The stark reality that we face in Anglesey is the loss of industry due to globalisation that we will never see again. The aluminium plants which relied on the Wylfa station for its source of power, Anglesey Aluminium, Peboc, Octel, our slaughterhouse –we're losing all this industry on the island and it won't come back.

"So we're left in a situation where there is not much that makes us different to other counties in north Wales for attracting investment."

Councillor Carwyn Jones

Cllr Jones said studies carried out had identified Anglesey as well-equipped to be an energy hub. "We have nuclear specialists here, having had the plant before, as well as the Menai Science Park, Coleg Menai, the wind turbines. It all ties into our unique selling point in producing energy – having the expertise, local skills and knowledge, the capabilities to push further development and world-class education facilities in years to come. It's all set up here."

Cllr Jones said he understood many of the concerns raised by groups like Pawb regarding the project but was satisfied that the development consent order (DCO) mitigated the concerns raised.

"This is not a project at all costs. What is key is that it centres on community benefits both in Anglesey and north Wales in terms of infrastructure, the number of jobs, training etc.

"With the reactors safety is of paramount importance to us. I have visited Japan myself and spoken to people about the concerns around safety.

"Facing down the barrel of a pandemic and Brexit, Anglesey and north Wales needs Wylfa more than ever. It is the opportunity for us to have a booming economy in hard times.

"Wylfa Newydd is key in hitting the problems we face – loss of industry, young people leaving the region, assuring high-quality jobs for the next 40 to 50 years.

"I have three young children and I would not support anything which would put their safety in danger. I want to see them staying in Anglesey and have the opportunity to have a career and a life on the island that I love."

Cllr Jones said he didn't accept suggestions that the area was pinning its hopes on a single major project. "We often hear the comment about having all our eggs in one basket but Wylfa is only one part of our energy island concept.

"We have our Morlais marine energy project off the coast of Holyhead which is more advanced than Wylfa and is currently sitting with the Welsh planning inspectorate awaiting an inquiry in November. That would deliver 300 jobs to the energy sector.

"We've got the associated new startups with Menai Science Park, world-leading educational facilities in Llangefni, and the RAF base which is a key employer."

An artist's impression of the proposed Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station

Not all are convinced that Wylfa is the magic pill that will transform Anglesey's fortunes, however. Mr Idris said he does not believe a new plant will have the desired effect.

"I understand that if I had a 14, 15-year-old in school, I'd be saying: 'Well, it isn't ideal but at least it's a job'. But we've had this salvation of nuclear in the 60s and 70s, and Anglesey is still one of the poorest areas.

"Renewables are coming in more – falling costs, improvements in storage technology. The technology is there and just needs to be purchased.

"It comes back to a lack of a plan B – why haven't other credible scenarios been presented?"

For its part, Horizon Nuclear Power has attempted to alleviate some of the concerns raised by groups like Pawb over the years.

It said the project would create at least 2,000 local jobs out of the 8,500-9,000, with 900 long-term jobs for the plant's 60-year lifespan, about 85% of which will be from Anglesey or the surrounding areas.

It has also committed to a £100m package to improve housing, leisure, tourism, culture and other areas in the region as well as infrastructure improvements to the A5025 to the site.

It also said it estimated the plant to bring around £100m a year GVA (gross value added) to the economy in Anglesey.

Horizon also included a survey as part of its DCO application to the UK Government which stated that 71% of respondents supported nuclear power in Anglesey.

Regarding safety concerns, it said: "The safety record of the nuclear industry is exceptionally strong globally and this includes in the UK, where nuclear power has been a safe and secure source of electricity for over 50 years."

A spokesperson for Horizon added: “We are continuing to work hard on securing the right conditions, including a new funding model, to support a potential restart for Wylfa Newydd.

“This is too important an opportunity not to deliver given the jobs and investment it will bring both locally and nationally and the huge contribution it will make to the UK meeting its climate change commitments.

"We are fortunate enough to enjoy strong support on Anglesey and we remain committed to doing all we can to move this transformational project forward."

But what of the future? With jobs and economic transformation on one side of the fence, and long-term safety concerns on the other, opinion is clearly divided on Wylfa Newydd.

With the impending decision from the UK Government it appears increasingly likely that clarity is coming either way.

If permission is granted then the final hurdle will be arranging funding between the UK Government and the company – something which has proven elusive thus far.

"From our perspective it makes no economic sense – the dangers are still there. It would be a case of disaster capitalism as far as we are concerned," said Mr Idris. "That said, we'd be surprised if it wasn't granted consent."

Cllr Jones said he hopes for good news. "We expect it will be passed – it is one of the key milestones in the project along with the energy white paper being prepared by the government.

"We keep in close contact with the company and as far as we are concerned it's now or never for Wylfa."

A spokesman for the UK Government's planning inspectorate confirmed it had completed the examination and issued the recommendation report to the Secretary of State.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy confirmed a decision on the project would arrive by the September deadline but was unable to comment further.