AWE to undergo a 20 year demolition programme as it reimagines Aldermaston site

The AWE site in Aldermaston is to undergo a major demolition programme ahead of the creation of a replacement facility known as the HUB.

The 42,785sqm development comprises a covered street providing access to laboratories, offices, storage, workshops and training together with a separate calibration building and associated infrastructure.

AWE has had to provide a demolition plan to West Berkshire Council before it allows the development to commence – but the details are scant because of security classifications.

The case officer has examined the submitted demolition phasing plan and notes that up to 76,357sqm of space is to be demolished across the site over the next 20 years.

While this is noted as being a long timeframe, this means that any traffic movements associated with the demolition and indeed any external environmental impacts will be minimised over time.

The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has a critical mission to support the defence and security of the UK.

The vision for the AWE estate is to create an efficient, fit for purpose and sustainable estate, capable of supporting a complex programme.

The company says demolition of redundant buildings and structures is a critical activity for AWE as it releases land for redevelopment opportunities and is a key enabler for critical site development commitments.

Demolition is also associated with delivering safety improvements whereby ageing, deteriorating facilities with an increasing maintenance burden are removed from the estate.

The Government has announced a £15bn investment in the nuclear warhead programme at AWE in Aldermaston and Burghfield.

The move comes as the Government publishes the outcome of its Strategic Defence Review, accepting all 62 recommendations to ‘protect the UK’s national security against a backdrop of increasing geopolitical threats’.

The Government has also confirmed that an additional 12 conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarine fleet will be built.