Campaigners protesting the building of Sizewell C have responded with frustration to EDF's £250 million package of funding to mitigate the impacts of the proposed site.

The biggest concern for those against the project was the money put towards environmental causes - £78 million for an independent environmental body to enhance the landscape of the area and £22 million for investment in landscape impact mitigation and creation of wildlife and habitat areas.

“It's notable that by far the biggest sum - £100 million - is for environmental projects,” said Alison Downes from Stop Sizewell C.

“This work will have to be ongoing for decades - through the life of the station and potentially decommissioning - to make any significant difference.”

“The environmental funding is simply a recognition of the long term and irreversible damage they will do to the environment,” said Pete Wilkinson of Together Against Sizewell C.

“The rest is a measure of the damage to this community EDF intends to inflict for what will be a huge white elephant on our eroding, heritage coast.”

They also raised concerns about the work programme planned for further education colleges and organisations which is set at £22 million.

“The £22m for the work programme would not be enough to create even one long term job at Sizewell C which come in at £25m for each of the 900 permanent jobs SZC is scheduled to bring,” said Mr Wilkinson.

Ms Downes said that the £23 million community fund for villages and £12 million for tourism did not feel enough.

“Taken over the 12-year build many of the amounts, eg for community and tourism, look considerably less impressive, and in some areas, like housing, emergency and public services the problems run deeper than just money,” she said.

“The £12m tourism fund will do nothing to compensate for the 12 year-long mayhem which the construction period will take, nor the damage it will do to the tourism industry on which this county heavily depends,” said Mr Wilkinson.