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Get involved

We want you to understand what we are doing and why it is important, so we've deliberately made the GDA process open and transparent.

We are:

  • encouraging nuclear reactor design companies to publish the information they send to us as part of the assessment process;
  • asking you to look at the information and provide comments;
  • publishing our assessment reports on this website (ONR) and GOV.UK (Environment Agency); and
  • promoting our work on the assessment of new nuclear power station designs.
Current stakeholder engagement plans

Regulators' approach to public and stakeholder engagement for the Rolls-Royce SMR GDA

Commenting on reactor designs

GDA includes a comments process. The reactor design company is encouraged to publish detailed design information on its website and update it as new information becomes available.

Anyone can view that information and comment on it, either directly to the reactor design company or via the Joint Programme Office. The reactor design company is required to respond to questions and comments about their design. We are able to see both questions and responses so we can consider them in our assessments.

The comments process document describes the three-step process for submitting your questions and views.

Consultation

Each regulator designed its GDA process to reflect its normal process for applications for nuclear site permits as closely as possible.

The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales will carefully consider all comments received during the consultation on preliminary findings. They will use these comments to help inform their assessment and decision about whether to issue a Statement of Design Acceptability (SoDA) for a particular design.

Keeping you informed

We will continue to take part in local events and conferences to share the latest information with you.

For regular updates you can subscribe to ONR News, a regular email newsletter, or follow our LinkedIn pages:

You can also follow @The_ONR , @EnvAgency and @NatResWales on X. Please note any comments you wish to be included in the GDA process should be submitted as detailed above, not via social media

Office for Nuclear Regulation Environment Agency Natural Resources Wales