The number of jobs linked to the nuclear industry on Anglesey has fallen by more than half in the last 15 years.

A report published by the Nuclear Industry Association (NIA) last week revealed just 321 people on the island were working in the sector, compared to 750 in 2010 - the biggest drop in any part of the UK.

Across the whole of Wales, there are 827 nuclear works - down from 1,346 a decade ago.

Amid ongoing uncertainty over whether a new nuclear power station will be built at Wylfa, Anglesey Council says it's shares the NIA's concerns over the decline of the industry in Wales.

Over the summer, the council published its own report on the impact of not only the decommissioning of the former Wylfa plant, but the loss of other key employers on North Anglesey.

Over a hundred jobs were lost with the closure of the Rehau plastics factory in Amlwch in 2019, while production ended at the nearby Octel bromine plant in 2004, with a 500-strong workforce being laid off.

It concluded the north of the island has been in "protracted decline" for at least the last two decades.

Deputy council leader Gary Pritchard said: "The significant drop in nuclear jobs on the Island has been compounded by several failed attempts to deliver a new project on the Wylfa site."

"At its peak, the former Magnox nuclear power station at Wylfa, which began decommissioning in 2015, employed around 1,000 people, with the local population, particularly in North Anglesey, highly dependent on the station."

"The closure of other employers at Rehau and Octel in Amlwch has also contributed to North Anglesey’s economic decline over the last 20 years."

"The subsequent lack of jobs has resulted in working aged people, many of whom are Welsh speakers, moving out with their families – leaving an ageing population and a struggling economy."

Wylfa was chosen in May as the former Conservative government's preferred site for a large-scale nuclear power plant, after being bought for £160 million from Hitachi, whose own plans collapsed five years ago.

But a change in government - and continuing uncertainty over any future proposals - led to Ynys Môn MP, Llinos Medi, calling on the new Labour administration at Westminster to provide "clear commitments" and timelines for the site, during a Commons debate last month. 

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Those calls have now been repeated by Anglesey Council's chief executive, Dylan J Williams, who warned the local authority and the public sector "cannot regenerate North Anglesey on its own".

He said: "Attracting new investment from the private sector will be critical, and a new nuclear development at Wylfa offers the potential to secure long term transformational change.”

“We now need certainty from the UK government that a development will take place on the Wylfa site.This will enable us to plan effectively, influence and give assurances to our communities."

"It’s essential that any potential development recognises and protects the qualities that make the Island and its communities unique, this includes the Welsh language and our culture."

The NIA jobs map shows employement in the nuclear industry has gone up in England by 65% compared to the 39% drop seen in Wales since 2014.

Supporters, including Anglesey Council, argue Wylfa is the best site for new nuclear development in Europe - and any new station would reverse years of decline while creating jobs and green energy.

Opponents - led by the campaign group People Against Wylfa B (PAWB) - argue resurrecting plans for a second nuclear plant are "a dinosaur" that "should not be resurrected" and want investment to be made in renewable energy instead.

Cllr Gary Pritchard said the NFA's report ultimately reaffirmed the council's position "that a new nuclear development at Wylfa, either at GW (gigawatt) or SMR (small modular reactor) scale, is vital to ensure the long-term wellbeing and prosperity of our Island’s communities, particularly those in North Anglesey."

"A firm commitment and timescales for a development happening at Wylfa from UK Government is crucial to secure local job opportunities."