Hinkley Point

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The headland at Hinkley Point with the power stations visible in the background
The headland at Hinkley Point with the power stations visible in the background

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:

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

  1. ^ Wind turbine farm plans rejected. BBC News. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
  2. ^ Bridgwater Bay SSSI. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
  3. ^ Bridgwater Bay Natural Area. Natural England. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
  4. ^ Hinkley Point Fossils and Fossil Collecting. UK Fossils Network. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
  5. ^ Hinkley Point Nature Trail to reopen. British Energy. Retrieved on 2007-02-19.

Coordinates: 51°12′29″N, 3°07′45″W

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