Homes cannot be built close to AWE Aldermaston

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council originally turned down the application in July last year, and the applicant, Mr D Clarke, appealed against the decision.

But the original rejection has now been upheld by Robert Parker, an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Mr Clarke applied to demolish an existing building at 30 Mount Pleasant, and construct one four-bedroom, one three-bedroom and two two-bedroom homes.

In making his decision, Mr Parker said he looked at the potential effect on human health which the proposals could have – specifically living in such close proximity to the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE).

He then weighed up these risks against potential benefits of the new housing.

In the reasons given for denying the appeal, Mr Parker said: “The appellant points to the low likelihood of a release of radioactive material.

“It is certainly the case that nuclear installations are heavily regulated by the ONR (Office for Nuclear Regulation) with the aim of minimising the risk of an incident occurring.

“However, radioactive material is by its very nature hazardous and the risk element cannot be removed entirely. Accidents and hazards can and do happen and this is evidenced by the fact that there was a fire in the explosives area of AWE Aldermaston in 2010.

“I am told this did not involve radiation but it illustrates that accidents do happen even in the most health and safety driven environments.”

Mr Parker added in his report: “The benefits of the proposal must be balanced against the risk to human health.

“Given the potentially serious consequences of a radiation emergency, however remote that possibility, I am minded to give substantial weight to the health issues. In the final balance, these are sufficient to significantly outweigh the relatively modest benefits.”