Oxfordshire Federation of Women’s Institute

May 15, 2007

The Oxfordshire Federation of Women’s Institute recently visited Harwell to learn about the plans for the development of the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus and to see progress with decommissioning the site that will help make these a reality.  The group toured the site and visited DIDO, a former Material Testing Reactor, and Harwell’s Active Handling Facility.

Margaret Palling, the Women’s Institute representative on the Harwell-Chilton Campus Local Stakeholder Group and organiser of the visit said: 

“We were pleased to have this opportunity to visit the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.  The visit was both interesting and informative”.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

  • The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is a world-leader in managing nuclear decommissioning and environmental restoration.  UKAEA has reached a significant milestone in the decommissioning of the former nuclear research site at Harwell in Oxfordshire.
  • UKAEA’s task at Harwell is to manage its environmental restoration programmes on site. This includes the decommissioning of redundant nuclear facilities, the management of radioactive wastes from past programmes of work and decommissioning projects, the remediation of any contaminated land, and the management and development of land and property assets on site.
  • One million square feet of buildings and nuclear research facilities, an area approximately the size of 21 football fields, have now been demolished since decommissioning work started in 1991.  The UKAEA, which owns and operates the site, has put in place a comprehensive plan to develop Harwell as an international business centre so that it can provide quality accommodation and facilities for all sizes of companies working in the fields of science and technology – from start-up companies to fully developed international organisations.  The 750-acre (296 hectares) site has an overall development ceiling of 2.5 million sq. ft of new and existing space.

The site currently houses organisations such as the Medical Research Council, AEA Technology, NUKEM, SERCo, Harwell Dosimeters, Scientifics, Oxford Drying Restoration Services, G E Healthcare, and REVISS Services (UK).  Adjacent to the site is the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory as well as the £235M Diamond synchrotron facility, the largest scientific facility to be built in the UK for 30 years currently under construction. 

 
For more information please contact: Angela Vincent, Harwell Communications Manager