The amendments will now be debated by the House of Commons

The Cumbrian nuclear reprocessing plant is due to be decommissioned over the next 10 years, with 8,000 jobs to go.

Now Cumbria County Council has successfully lobbied the Lords for changes to legislation on Sellafield.

It could mean a new agency, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), will be required to support the community.

Under the Energy Bill, outlining how Sellafield will be decommissioned, the NDA was only being encouraged to support activities benefiting the social and economic life of communities near nuclear sites.

But the council believed that was not strong enough and lobbied for the NDA to be "required to do so".

It is essential that the areas hit by job losses as nuclear sites are decommissioned get all the support they can Cumbria County Council statement

The House of Lords has voted in favour of amendments to the Energy Bill and the amendments will now be debated by the House of Commons in May.

The council's three political parties worked together and in a statement, Conservative councillor Rex Toft, Stewart Young, for Labour, and Liberal Democrat Mike Ash said: "We want the final legislation to make a binding commitment to benefit the social and economic life of communities living near nuclear sites.

"It is essential that the areas hit by job losses as nuclear sites are decommissioned get all the support they can.

"Cumbrian peers have done an excellent job in convincing their colleagues of our argument.

"The debate now moves on to the House of Commons and let's hope we secure similar support and get the law on the side of the local communities."

The council has already welcomed the announcement that the NDA's headquarters will be in West Cumbria.