Final phase of decommissioning Winfrith nuclear site on its way

It will see a number of container blocks put up there

Author: Faye Tryhorn & Trevor Bevins - Local Democracy ReporterPublished 24th Feb 2022

A temporary facility is set to be put in place at Winfrith's former nuclear reactor site, in the final phase of it decommissioning.

We can expect to see around 20 storage containers put into place there, some stacked on top of each other.

Dorset Council's approved a planning application from Magnox Ltd to install them, and make some some changes to the car park.

The storage containers will be used as offices, staff welfare, cycle storage and a smoking shelter.

An example of what the new storage containers could look like

Work on site is underway to remove the last two nuclear reactors from the site, which were last used in 1995.

Radioactive materials there are encased in concrete in special containers, before left to 'cure' for 28 days and then moved away by road.

Once that effort is completed, all of the containers will be removed and the area restored to heathland by 2023.

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