EDF’s proposed £16 billion nuclear power station at Hinkley Point is still in limbo, as the firm awaits the results of an investigation.

The French energy company announced in October that it planned to take a final investment decision on Hinkley Point C by July, after striking a subsidy deal with government.

But it is still waiting for the results of an ongoing European Commission investigation into whether the subsidies are illegal state aid before taking the final decision.

A spokesman for EDF told the Mercury this week: “We hope to get EU approval by the end of the year. In the meantime phase two site preparation works are still underway to prepare the ground.

“There’re only a dozen or so workers on site at the moment because there’s not much more we can do until we get the final investment decision; then there will be lots of jobs.”

He added EDF is co-operating fully with the European Commission and UK Government as the investigation proceeds.

It is now a year since EDF announced a cost-saving reorganisation, which saw a “significant amount” of employees being made redundant. When asked by the Mercury, the spokesman would not reveal the exact figure or the percentage of job losses.

The start of preparatory works on the power station site triggers various financial payments to West Somerset Council, including the first pot of money to the Community Fund, which Sedgemoor communities can apply for soon.