RESIDENTS who live near the AWE sites in Aldermaston and Burghfield have been taking a close look at proposals to store radioactive waste from decommissioned submarines at both sites.

The bases are among five shortlisted locations where the waste could be stored for at least 25 years.

Twenty-seven submarines are set to be dismantled, and the waste which is generated will need to be stored until at least 2040 before it can be transferred to a geological disposal facility.

Residents living near the two sites had the opportunity to quiz members of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) who are part of the Submarine Dismantling Project at the Tadley Community Centre, in Newchurch Road last Friday.

The SDP team held a series of workshops and information boards were displayed at the exhibition where members of the public could see the assessment of all sites and information on the delivery of the radioactive waste, if one of the AWE sites is selected as the preferred location.

Grandfather-of-one Brian Bush, who lives in Burghfield Common, told The Gazette: “It was informative and interesting. It was also reassuring. I came open minded. We have got two bomb facilities on our doorstep and I don’t want any more but this waste has got to go somewhere.”

The Ministry of Defence has concluded that the AWE sites would have the lowest total mileage from dismantling the submarines to bringing the radioactive material to the sites, compared to the other potential sites which are in Cheshire, Cumbria and Dumfriesshire.

If an AWE site is selected as the chosen storage facility, three transportation journeys are expected to take place in the first year and once a year in the following years.

Speaking about the public events, John Davis, programme manager of the SDP team, said: “We have had a good turnout. I think a lot of the public are here because they are familiar with the site.

“They are quite a well-informed community. We are getting the feedback we need to inform our decision. The public consultation forms an important part of the process.”

The comments made at the public consultation events around the country will now be considered by the team during their final assessment process, and an announcement on the chosen site is expected by mid-2016.