The Ministry of Defence has pledged at least £2 billion of spending on new developments at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), according to new information released in response to a Parliamentary Question from Caroline Lucas MP.
Aldermaston latest news
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NIS Update: October 2011
PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON SUBMARINE DISMANTLING OPTIONS TO COMMENCE
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that a 16 week period of public consultation on options for its Submarine Dismantling Project will commence on Friday 28 October 2011.
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Revealed: the £700 million price of AWE’s new uranium facility
The full costs of 'Project Pegasus', the proposed new enriched uranium facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston, have been revealed to Nuclear Information Service following a request under the Freedom of Information Act.
Information provided by the Ministry of Defence following a ruling by the Information Commissioner shows that the new facility at Aldermaston was priced at £746,765,140 when it received 'initial gate' approval in 2007.
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NIS Update: August – September 2011
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS PAINT BLEAK PICTURE FOR MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FINANCES
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) annual report and accounts for 2010-11, published earlier this summer, have further exposed the disorganised state of the Ministry's financial situation.
The accounts report a net operating cost of £47.1 billion and assets of some £127.9 billion mainly consisting of land, buildings, fighting equipment and stores together with gross liabilities of some £21.3 billion.
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NIS Update: June – July 2010
REDUCTION IN UK NUCLEAR WARHEAD NUMBERS BEGINS
The Ministry of Defence has announced that the programme for implementing reductions in the number of UK nuclear warheads outlined in last year's Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has now commenced.
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Boundary Hall development at AWE: Inspector says no, Minister says yes
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, has decided to grant planning permission for the controversial 'Boundary Hall' housing development in Tadley, ignoring advice from the independent inspector at last year's planning inquiry into the development.
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Atomic Weapons Establishment fire: independent report highlights failure to comply with safety arrangements
Photo: The explosives processing facility which caught fire, showing the burnt-out frontage of the building. (Credit: AWE)
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Nuclear factory fire report highlights AWE safety failings
“Numerous difficulties” were experienced by agencies involved in fighting a serious fire at the Berkshire factory where Britain's nuclear warheads are made because of the security status of the site and the time of day the fire broke out, according to a fire service debrief report for the incident- which is available for download at the bottom of this article.
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Coulport nuclear weapons store to be privatised
AWE will head a commercial alliance that will take over operation of the site where the UK's nuclear weapons are stored from February 2012.
The private sector alliance, comprising of AWE as the prime contractor with Babcock and Lockheed Martin Strategic Systems (UK) as subcontractors, will undertake the highly sensitive role of managing Trident nuclear warheads and missiles stored at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot at Coulport, on Loch Long in Scotland.
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Emergency planning arrangements for AWE’s Explosives Technology Facility
Emergency plans for the explosives technology facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston have been released into the public domain (available for download at the bottom of this article) following a series of questions from Members of Parliament.
Following the fire in the explosives area at Aldermaston on 3 August 2010 Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, enquired about the emergency arrangements which were implemented in fighting the fire.
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NIS Update: February 2011
AWE BURGHFIELD PLANNING APPLICATION RESUBMITTED
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.
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Modifications, upgrades, and new warheads
As well as revealing the precarious state of nuclear safety at the Ministry of Defence, the recently released series of annual safety reports has also revealed some interesting insights into the UK's Trident nuclear warhead programme.