The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published its Corporate Plan 2026–27, setting out how it will deliver the organisational objectives contained in its rolling strategy, ONR Together, while supporting its aim of becoming a more modern, agile and productive regulator. The Corporate Plan provides further detail on how ONR intends to take forward those objectives through specific and measurable commitments for the year ahead, including the modernisation of its regulatory guidance framework, improvements to organisational efficiency and measures intended to support innovation within nuclear sector.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has said that it is has notified Sellafield Ltd that it will be prosecuted under the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, SI 2003/403. ONR has said that the charges relate to alleged information technology security offences during a four year period between 2019 and early 2023.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published a paper outlining its pro-innovation approach to regulating artificial intelligence (AI) in the nuclear sector. The paper was produced in response to a request from the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for ONR to publish updates on how their regulatory approaches align with the government’s framework principles. The paper addresses how the ONR’s approach aligns with the expectations in the UK government’s 2023 AI Regulation White Paper. It also describes how the ONR’s existing regulatory regime provides a supportive environment for dutyholders to apply AI technology in a way that could improve safety and reduce hazards.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published 'Using relevant good practice in regulatory judgement', a policy clarifying how inspectors use Relevant Good Practice (RGP) to inform independent regulatory judgements. ONR said RGP is a regulatory concept rather than a requirement prescribed in law and may inform assessments of whether nuclear sector dutyholders are meeting goal-setting legal duties and requirements. The policy responds to the government’s Nuclear Regulatory Review 2025 and reinforces dutyholders’ responsibility for managing risks in compliance with the law. It also sets out an expectation that ONR inspectors adopt a proportionate and outcome-focused approach to independent decision-making, informed by RGP where appropriate.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published updated guidance to help operators comply with the Nuclear Safeguards (EU Exit and Fees) (Amendment) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/835, which came into effect in July 2026. The amended regulations introduce a transition from Basic Technical Characteristics to internationally standardised International Atomic Energy Agency Design Information Questionnaires for safeguards reporting, new requirements relating to facility changes and repurposed facilities and updated reporting timescales. They also provide further clarity on ONR's enforcement powers to impose, amend and withdraw particular safeguards provisions, as well as its cost recovery powers. ONR's updated guidance includes its Safeguards Technical Inspection Guide and Technical Assessment Guide (TAG), Nuclear Material Accountancy TAG and Nuclear Material Accountancy, Control, and Safeguards Assessment Principles.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has published an updated Safety Cases Technical Assessment Guide (TAG-001), replacing the previous TAG-050 and TAG-051 guidance with a single guide to simplify nuclear safety case requirements and remove unnecessary complexity, duplication and detail. The revised guidance implements changes arising from the government's Nuclear Regulatory Review, which followed an independent taskforce's recommendation to reset safety case development by embedding greater simplicity and eliminating duplication.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has reported on the pre-planned roadside stop operation to ensure compliance with regulations regarding the transportation of radioactive materials. ONR and a number of police forces attended the operation with representatives of carriage of dangerous goods stakeholders. The operation began on 28 November 2023 as part of a two-day event run by the National Carriage of Dangerous Goods Practitioners Forum, hosted by the Northwest Commercial Vehicle Unit. ONR reported that no offences were found relating to the transport of radioactive material, but 48% of the 21 vehicles examined were non-compliant relating to other matters including offences ranging from insecure loads, missing equipment including fire extinguishers and shovels, orange-coloured plates wrongly displayed when no dangerous good were being carried and emergency contact numbers obscured. Police officers issued three road traffic offence reports, three prohibition notices and gave four sets of words of advice. ONG noted that further stops are planned in 2024.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation has served two improvement notices on Sellafield Limited for breaches of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002, SI 2002/2677. Enforcement action was taken following the company's failure to manage risks of working with nickel nitrate and prevent or adequately control exposure to hazardous substances. Sellafield Limited is required to complete an assessment of risks associated with nickel nitrate use by the end of October 2024 and prevent or adequately control exposure of workers to nickel nitrate by the end of March 2025.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has signed an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Environment Agency. The MoU primarily focuses on the regulation of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, transport and environmental protection at nuclear licensed sites in England. It sets out a framework for coordinating regulatory activities to ensure effective oversight of the nuclear industry, compliance with the UK’s international safeguards obligations, the maintenance and enhancement of protection standards against ionising radiation and other hazards, and the appropriate management of radioactive waste in both the short and long term. The MoU is intended to strengthen cooperation between the two regulators in carrying out their respective roles.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has welcomed the findings of the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce and confirmed that it will consult on a new strategy i December 2025. The Taskforce review examined how the UK’s regulatory framework could be strengthened to support government priorities such as energy security, growth, net zero, defence, and the clean-up of legacy facilities. ONR Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector Mike Finnerty stated that the Taskforce’s work has helped shape ONR’s forthcoming draft strategy, which aims to modernise and streamline nuclear regulation while maintaining rigorous safety and security standards.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) have published a revised framework for assessing new nuclear reactor designs and a new policy on using assessments carried out by overseas nuclear regulators to help speed up the approval process for new nuclear projects in Great Britain, while maintaining existing safety, security and environmental standards. The ONR, EA and NRW state that the changes follow the UK government’s direction to accelerate new nuclear development and aim to support completion of reactor design assessments within two years.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published data indicating a 0.1% increase in total construction output for Q3 2025. This was attributed to growth in repair and maintenance (0.6%) while new work decreased by 0.2%. In September 2025, construction output is estimated to have increased by 0.2%. This was attributed to a 0.7% increase in new work, as repair and maintenance decreased by 0.5%. At the sectoral level, four out of nine sectors saw growth in Q3 2025, with the main contributor being private housing repair and maintenance, which grew by 2.9%, while private new housing fell by 1.9%. Total construction new orders increased by 9.8% in Q3 2025, compared with Q2 2025. This increase was mainly driven by private commercial new work and private industrial new work.