Designers of the proposed Sizewell C nuclear power station say they have listened to the public in deciding some of the off-site developments for the project.

Community leaders were told last night that some of the options identified for park-and-ride sites and an accommodation village had already been abandoned.

While there will be winners and losers and some relief from communities which had feared large-scale development, EDF Energy says its plans are not set in stone and there is plenty of opportunity still for people to influence the company’s proposals.

Some of the “lead sites” – those now favoured – are also still under investigation.

Further formal consultation is not expected until late next year.

Bosses met with a wide range of community leaders – including parish councils from across the area, and opposition groups – to outline the latest progress.

While several key decisions which will affect the community are still a long way off, travel and living arrangements for the thousands of workers needed to build the multi-billion pound Sizewell C plant have taken a step forward – with EDF able to announce the main sites it is pursuing.

The company had identified and consulted on a series of options for two park-and-ride sites off the A12 to ferry workers to and from the coast, and also on three potential sites for a campus to house up to 3,000 people.

EDF Energy’s head of the Sizewell C project, Stephen Walls told the community forum meeting that a huge amount of work was taking place behind the scenes, particularly on assessing the potential engineering solutions for the construction phase of the project.

However, EDF has firmed up its intentions on some aspects of transport and accommodation.

For the north park-and-ride site, it has now earmarked Darsham as the “lead site”, and for workers living in the south they would use a site at Wickham Market, as long as archaeological concerns can be overcome.

Mr Walls said: “It was good to share the project update with the community forum and to highlight the activity we have undertaken over the last year. The momentum around Sizewell C continues.

“Although EDF Energy is at an early stage for proposals for Sizewell C we wanted to share some early findings from technical studies around associated developments and to provide an update on our transport strategy as our ongoing community liaison shows these are areas of particular interest to local people.

“The investigative work EDF Energy has carried out to date and the feedback we received from the stage one consultation means we are at a point where we can start to refine the options for associated development that will form the basis for further consultation as we continue to develop more detailed proposals.”

The scheme was given a boost last month when a “strike price” – the price the Government has guaranteed EDF for electricity generated – for Hinkley Point was at last announced, kick-starting the development of the next generation of n-power plants to help safeguard the nation’s power supplies.

Development of Sizewell C is a key factor in the long-term Hinkley Point power price, though the “strike price” for the Suffolk plant has yet to be negotiated.

Sizewell C is expected to follow £16 billion Hinkley Point, and will also use the same construction design and expertise. Sizewell C will cost slightly less than the Somerset plant.

It is expected to be the middle of next year before the Hinkley Point deal is finalised.