Sizewell nuclear power plant seen from above

Aerial pictures show the expanse of the Sizewell A and B buildings on the Suffolk coast.

The latter with its distinctive white dome is still generating, while the former, on the opposite side of the site, operated until 2006 and is being decommissioned.

The government has given the go-ahead for a new Sizewell C extension to the complex.

It would be a two-reactor nuclear power plant generating up to 3.2 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, enough for about six million homes.

Its supporters say it is a great opportunity for clean energy that will create new jobs in the area. Critics believe Sizewell C is a big mistake and voice concerns ranging from the loss of wildlife habitat to the blight of construction traffic.

The project, mainly funded by the French energy company EDF, is expected to cost in the region of £20bn.