Nuclear Information Service

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.

Ibex House
85 Southampton Street
Reading
RG1 2QU
United Kingdom

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

Forthcoming events

Remembrance Day Lecture

Professor Philippe Sands QC, Lecturer in International Law at University College London, will be talking about the Chilcott Inquiry and the legality of the invasion of Iraq.

Admission is free, but please register in advance with event organisers the Movement for the Abolition of War.

2.00 - 5.00 pm, Sunday 14 November 2010

Cinema, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ

latest tweet from NIS:

Visits to Aldermaston, Burghfield, Theale, Thatcham, Mortimer, and Newbury today - over 250 objections recorded to AWE planning application.

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..

1400 objectors, 0 supporters: West Berkshire Council grants planning permission to AWE

2010-02-10 23:42

Despite receiving over 1400 letters of objection, West Berkshire Council has decided to grant planning permission to the Atomic Weapons Establishment for a new Enriched Uranium Facility.

Last night's Eastern Area Planning Committee meeting agreed to give permission for the controversial development to go ahead in the face of public concern about a lack of consultation and inadequate information about the risks it poses to the public and the environment. Just one committee member - Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Macro - voted against the proposal.

A street survey undertaken by NIS and other local environmental groups showed that 61% of local people thought that the development should not be permitted to go ahead, and 92% felt that more information about the potential risks associated with it should be released before planning permission was granted.

NIS Director Peter Burt said: "It's disappointing but not surprising that this development was permitted given the very close relationship between West Berkshire Council and AWE.

"It's particularly discouraging that the Council was willing to condone AWE's woeful lack of consultation over a major industrial development. The planning application was submitted just before the Christmas holiday period and no attempt was made to engage with members of the public to explain the need for the development. The inescapable conclusion is that AWE wished to avoid debate and scrutiny of a planning application that it knew many local people would be concerned about.

"West Berkshire Council likes to pretend that planning applications submitted by AWE are treaed the same as those submitted by anyone else, but no-one else would be allowed to submit a planning application for a factory handling radioactive substances and hazardous chemicals without giving a copper-bottomed explanation of how they intend to manage the risks and guarantee safety."

Concerns about consultation standards were raised in many of the objections to the planning application, and also by neighbouring Basingstoke and Deane and Reading Borough Councils.