PROGRESS in decommissioning the old nuclear site at Winfrith slowed during the last financial year because of funding constraints, according to a new report.

The active decommissioning of both the steam-generating heavy water reactor (SGHWR) and the dragon reactor was delayed after budget cuts that also led to redundancies.

But the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) annual review says good progress was made despite the setbacks.

And Winfrith also won praise from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) for its impressive safety record.

The review says decommissioning of the secondary containment of the SGHWR was achieved during the period, and a design for final decommissioning was completed.

But the cuts resulted in the programme being delayed, and the reactor was placed under a care and maintenance regime in April.

Decommissioning work on the dragon reactor was scheduled for completion this year but it too was placed under care and maintenance.

The review says all the above-ground structures of Winfrith’s A59 building have now been demolished. Work has continued on the removal of below-ground structures such as services, storage holes and the base slab.

During the last financial year Winfrith exported 82 consignments of low-level waste to the repository at Drigg and the site’s waste treatment plant has produced 664 drums of sludge to date.

The drums have been removed for storage and the project is now more than half complete, according to the review.

Head of site Andy Staples said: “We made good progress over the last financial year despite funding constraints that resulted in two major programmes – the decommissioning of the SGHWR and the dragon reactor – reverting back to care and maintenance, and subsequent reductions in the team.

“Even with these additional pressures we have continued to deliver our decommissioning programme safely, cost-effectively and efficiently.

“I’m particularly pleased that during this time we maintained our excellent safety record, achieving a period of 366 days without a lost time accident.”

An open meeting on developments at the site for residents, held by the Winfrith Site Stakeholder Group, will be held at Winfrith Village Hall from 6.30pm on Tuesday.