Dounreay outlines future for decommissioned plant 17 September 2010

Dounreay's clean-up contractor today set out how it will leave what it describes as "a cultural legacy of Britain's 20th century experiment with fast breeder nuclear reactors" after the site has been flattened.

Dounreay Site Restoration says that some of the buildings, including the sphere, still contain nuclear and chemical hazards and are to be retained in the short term.

However, the strategy rules out their preservation once those hazards have been removed.

The strategy, which took two years to develop, is a new approach for nuclear sites in the UK, though, focusing on preserving key aspects for posterity – although the site is likely to remain out of bounds for almost 300 years after it has been decommissioned.

"There is much to celebrate and to study in the fields of history, science and social geography," comments Malcolm Cooper, chief inspector of Historic Scotland, in a foreword to the strategy publication.

"It seems entirely fitting to us that the spirit of innovation that underpinned the development of the reactors at Dounreay remains at the site, both in terms of the current decommissioning programme and, in particular, in terms of developing new approaches to deciding how best to celebrate and commemorate such a key site."

"It's important we decommission this site in a way that preserves its historical significance for future generations," said DSRL managing director Simon Middlemas.

"There are artefacts and records here of immense technical and cultural value and we will work with the community and heritage experts to look after these for the future."

Brian Tinham

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