Deconstructing amenity: the unrealized nuclear power sites of Edern (Llŷn Peninsula, Wales) and Hamstead (Isle of Wight, England)

The siting of early nuclear power stations in the UK necessitated discussion of the integration of large-scale industry into rural landscapes and small communities. Section 37 of the Electricity Act 1957 (the amenity clause) regulated site selection and design of new power stations. The perceived economic and employment benefits of the construction of a nuclear power station were an incentive for project support. However, the risks to health, wildlife and the aesthetic value of the landscape were adopted as motives for opposition. Negotiation between Government and community stakeholders demonstrated conflicting priorities. The process of site selection offers a lens to examine varied and versatile interpretations of amenity, providing insight into valuations of landscape and potential aesthetic, social and functional implications. This paper draws together definitions of amenity and investigates the application of the term through the discussion of two sensitive and unrealized nuclear power sites. Information is drawn from a number of archival sources, including documents from the Ministry of Fuel and Power, National Parks Commission, local authorities and local communities. It will argue that, in this instance, amenity was not a passive term synonymous with natural beauty, but held an active role in economic, aesthetic and welfare planning to maintain and prioritize human use and enjoyment of land.