The operator of any nuclear plant must demonstrate that the operation of the plant is compliant with all the legislative requirements in terms of both radiological and non-radiological issues. The regulatory bodies dealing with the nuclear safety aspects of plant operation are the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) and the Environment Agency (EA) in England and Wales or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) in Scotland. The NII assesses the safety of the plant during normal operation with respect to exposure of the plant operators and the public to radiation, and also reviews the effect on the operators and the public of a range of fault conditions which might occur. The NII will only allow operation of the plant when it is satisfied that the plant is adequately safe and that the risks from it are acceptable.

Permission to raise power on any new plant is granted by the NII, in the form of a licence, based on the assessment presented in the final Station Safety Report.

The Environment Agencies grant an Authorisation (effectively a licence) to dispose of any gaseous, liquid and solid wastes from the site. The most significant radionuclides in any disposals are limited numerically to ensure that potential radiation doses to the public are controlled.