planning

As a public service, NIS monitors and reports on non-sensitive developments at and about British nuclear weapons production related sites.

NIS publishes material relating to the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston and Burghfield sites, located in the southern English County of West Berkshire. Since the 1950s, AWE is where the design, production, assembly, maintenance, disassembly and decommissioning of nuclear weapons takes place. Between 2004 and 2015, building developments are underway to enable a new generation of warheads to be researched and designed without underground nuclear testing. See monthly NIS Updates on the new developments at AWE.

Other nuclear weapons related sites include the Clyde facilties at RNAD Coulport and the Naval Base Faslane; RRMPOL Derby and DML Devonport. All these sites creat nuclear discharges and waste.

Nuclear Information Service

Ibex House
85 Southampton Street
Reading
RG1 2QU
United Kingdom

Tel / fax: 0118 327 7489
email: office(at)nuclearinfo.org

Forthcoming events

No events planned over the next few weeks, but watch this space!

latest tweet from NIS:

'Beating the Bomb' movie about the history of the UK #peace movement now online at Youtube: http://t.co/KkomtNZm

latest on Peter Burt's blog

NIS calls for independent inquiry into Aldermaston fire
Safety questions unanswered for AWE's Project Hydrus
A street survey shows that 61% of local people are opposed to AWE's Project Pegasus.
Council accused of sneaking through nuclear plans during Christmas rush.
Aldermaston's £500 million new uranium project - read our special briefing.
New AWE emergency plan highlights chilling consequences of a nuclear accident
Emergency services could not cope with Southampton nuclear submarine accident
Nuclear submarine waste bound for AWE?
MOD Stops Live Nuclear Work at AWE due to preasure from NII over safety risks..
2008 Annual Report released by NIS.
A New Film Exposes Deadly Cargo on British Roads..

For Nuclear site planning information please also see Updates.

AWE Burghfield planning permission conditional on HSE approval
2011-04-06 23:12
West Berkshire Council's Eastern Area Planning Committee has agreed to renew planning permission for a Conventional Manufacturing Facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Burghfield – but only on condition that the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirms that it has no objections to the development on nuclear safety grounds in the light of the Fukushima nuclear accident. ... more
AWE Burghfield planning application resubmitted
2011-02-09 15:00
The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has submitted a planning application to West Berkshire Council to extend the time limit for construction of a new conventional manufacturing rationalisation (CMR) facility at AWE Burghfield.

Planning permission for the facility was originally granted in August 2008, with building work scheduled to commence within three years. AWE has stated that construction of the new facility has not yet commenced because resources have had to be directed towards higher priority projects, and so a new application has been submitted to extend the time limit before planning permission expires. ... more
Public inquiry into AWE safety extended by four days
2010-10-20 11:38
The Boundary Hall planning inquiry into development in the emergency planning zone at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston is to be extended by four days to allow evidence into public safety to be fully examined. ... more
Investment spending at AWE rockets to £1 billion per year
2009-09-09 18:00
A low-key parliamentary statement has announced that investment spending at the Atomic Weapons Establishment will increase to an average of £1 billion per year between now and 2013. ... more
WBC Report MENSA
2009-03-03 20:23
AWE Burghfield Planning Application for a Dis/Assembly facility to be decided. WBC Planning Committee Meeting 6.30pm Wednesday 4th March 2009, Council Offices, Market Street, Newbury, Berks.
see Planning Officer's Report
1000 comments on new Nuclear warhead facility
2009-02-24 19:15
Some 1,000 comments have been lodged over a plan to modernise a nuclear warhead facility in Berkshire. Many people raised concerns over flooding at the proposed new facility at the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment.
BBC 20th Feb 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7901361.stm ... more
Objection to MoD Planning Application: 08/02287/COMIND
2009-02-24 19:08
The requirement for AWE to improve the safety of its warhead disassembly bunkers is not disputed. In 2007 NIS published ‘How Safe is AWE Burghfield?’ a report based on FoI disclosures documenting the safety failures of the existing ‘Gravel Gertie’ (GG) facilities and addressing the dilemma in which the MoD found itself. In 2006 and 2007 the HSE Nuclear Inspectorate (NI) pressed AWE to close the facility until essential safety improvements could be carried out. The MoD refused on ‘national security‘ grounds. Eventually the NI secured an agreement that warhead work would only be carried out under a single-operation permissioning regime, which continues today. This emergency arrangement ensures that no work is done by AWE before the NI have inspected the buildings on each occasion permission is requested. ... more