Suffolk County Council officers and councillors had a good relationship with Julia Pyke, who was well-respected – particularly for her work with local communities.
Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Devolution, Local Government Reorganisation and NSIPs, said:
“Despite the very mixed views about the scheme locally and often strong local opposition, Julia’s commitment to doing right by local communities, was one of the most positive assets to the Sizewell C project.
“The balance that had been struck between preparing the project for construction, and handling communities and businesses with sensitivity cannot have been easy, but Julia managed it well. She took time to listen to concerns, respond and put things right where possible.
“My message to Sizewell C is to maintain this legacy – do not row back on the positive relationships and goodwill that has been built up to this point. Julia was a visible and public face for the scheme, always willing to attend community forums and events. It’s important that the new CEO is equally visible.
“Our communities continue to face waves of impacts from various infrastructure projects around the Suffolk coast – the council will continue to play its part by holding projects like Sizewell C to account.”
Suffolk, with the approval of Sizewell C now given, will be home to the UK’s foremost operational nuclear cluster.
The county council will leverage the opportunity for economic growth, maximising the opportunity for Suffolk’s supply chain and workforce in the operation and maintenance of nuclear facilities across the UK. This ambition was championed by Julia Pyke and the county council expects to continue to work with EDF to achieve this.
Furthermore, the council will continue to ensure that the surrounding communities, bearing the disruption of a twelve-year construction period, will receive the full package of agreed mitigation measures specified in the consent, by SZC Ltd.
