Future of AWE under microscope at Tadley public meeting

Likely 'economic shock' from EU referendum

The future of AWE – including repercussions of yesterday’s EU referendum – was placed under the microscope at a public meeting in Tadley last week.

The independent Reading-based Nuclear Information Service (NIS) outlined what it thought the future may hold for AWE, in a meeting at Bishopswood Golf Club, in Bishopswood Lane.

Peter Burt, a NIS research manager, presented AWE: Past, Present and Future Possibilities, outlining various scenarios for the way ahead for AWE, which manufactures and maintains the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Trident, at sites in Burghfield and Aldermaston.

The small audience heard Mr Burt say that a major investment programme underway at AWE was scheduled to spend around £1bn per year over the remainder of this decade.

He said that work had already begun to upgrade current warheads to the category Mark 4A, with increased accuracy, destructive power and extended lifetime.

He added that research at AWE was exploring options for a future warhead, and also alternatives in the event of a Government decision to cancel the Trident programme.

With AWE a major local employer of some 5,000 staff, plus contractors, Mr Burt claimed that anxiety levels were rising as to the future of AWE, should the Government decide to cancel the Trident programme.

And the result of yesterday’s European referendum could create an “economic shock,” with repercussions for the local economy.

Mr Burt said: “If there is a vote to leave there will be a big change to the Government’s work and legislative programme – it would eat into this and put back any vote on replacing Trident.”

In line with commitments from many governments in other countries towards global nuclear disarmament, Mr Burt said any ‘post- nuclear’ AWE could see it instead become a commercially-focused, innovation and technology centre and could further develop its successful apprenticeship programme.

“Clearly the work at AWE does have a strong emphasis on science, maths and technology (STEM),” said Mr Burt.

The discussion was then opened to questions from the floor where concerns were expressed that other countries would still have nuclear weapons, should the Government decide to scrap Trident.

However, Mr Burt pointed out Japan lacked any nuclear deterrent.

There was also interest in any future commercial scope for AWE, which boasts some of the country’s brightest scientists and has links with many universities, and in alternative uses of AWE’s £183m Orion laser and Spruce super computer facility.

AWE Aldermaston was last year placed under special regulatory measures for a third consecutive year by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, the Government’s nuclear safety regulator, because of a failure to improve safety performance.

For a leaflet entitled AWE: Britain’s Nuclear Weapons Factory Past Present and Possibilities for the Future, email office@nuclearinfo.org.

For more information visit www.nuclearinfo.org