DT2 8WG, Nuclear Restoration Services Limited, EPR/PB3898DC/V004: application to change (vary) the radioactive substances permit at Winfrith nuclear site

Closes 5 Sep 2025

Opened 3 Jun 2025

Overview

The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear power stations and radioactive waste disposal sites meet our high standards of environmental protection throughout the stages of design, construction, operation and decommissioning.

Operators of nuclear sites in England must have a permit for radioactive substances activities from the Environment Agency under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016 (EPR16). The environmental permits we issue to nuclear site operators contain strict conditions (rules) that they must follow at all times.

Our consultation

The Winfrith site is operated, and being decommissioned, by Nuclear Restoration Services Limited (NRS).

The Winfrith nuclear site was built in 1957 as a research and development facility and operated until 1995. There were nine prototype nuclear reactors at the site, but only two remain (the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor and Dragon). Decommissioning and demolition of all the site structures is ongoing and the aim is to return the site to heathland with public access.

We are seeking your comments on an application received from Nuclear Restoration Services to change (vary) its radioactive substances permit EPR/PB3898DC/V004 for

Winfrith nuclear site Gatemore Road Dorchester Dorset DT2 8WG

Nuclear Restoration Services wants to make on-site disposals of low-level solid radioactive waste at the Winfrith nuclear site. Both the Steam Generating Heavy Water Reactor and Dragon reactors have large sub-surface voids or basements constructed from reinforced concrete. Nuclear Restoration Services plan to demolish all the remaining site buildings including the reactor buildings to ground level and backfill the sub-surface voids with the demolition waste. This will mostly be concrete, bricks and tiles. Some of the floors and walls of the sub-surface structures have low level radioactive contamination and some of the waste that will be used to backfill the structures will be radioactive.

We set specific limits in the permit on what NRS is allowed to release when carrying out certain activities, including:

• managing or disposing of radioactive waste

• making discharges to air and water

Most of the demolition waste will not be radioactive and NRS have also applied for a separate Deposit for Recovery waste permit (EPR/CP3329LD) to allow the use of non-radioactive, non-hazardous site derived construction and demolition waste for infilling the sub-surface voids. This application can be viewed and commented on here: https://consult.environment-agency.gov.uk/psc/dt2-8wg-nuclear-restoration-services-limited-a001

Why your views matter

Privacy notice

Environmental permit application privacy notice 

The Environment Agency runs the environmental permit application service. 

We are the data controller for this service. A data controller determines how and why personal information is processed. 

Our personal information charter explains: 

  • your rights 
  • what we do with your personal information 

We’re allowed to process your personal information because we have official authority as the environmental regulator. We need this information to carry out a task in the public interest that is set out in law. 

We need your personal information to process your environmental permit application. If you do not give us this information we cannot issue a permit to you. After we’ve issued a permit to you, we use your personal information: 

  • to check you’re complying with your permit 
  • during any potential enforcement action 

What personal information we collect 

If you’re the individual applicant, director or company secretary of a company applying or a 

technically competent manager we need your: 

  • name 
  • date of birth 
  • address 
  • email address 

If you’re the agent, consultant, employee responsible for the activity, or the employee responsible for billing and invoicing we need your: 

  • name 
  • address 
  • email address 

If you’re the applicant we need details of any: 

  • convictions 
  • bankruptcy 

We also collect any questions or feedback you leave, including your email address if you contact us. 

Your responsibility with other people’s personal information 

If you’ve included personal information about other people on your application, you must tell them. You must provide them with a copy of this privacy notice so that they know how their personal information will be used. 

What we do with your personal information 

We use your personal information to help us decide whether to issue you with a permit. 

This information is published on our consultation website during the consultation period. This website is available to everyone so your information may be transferred outside the European Economic Area. 

After consultation we put all the information you give us in your application on our public register. 

If you can prove that the information you will send us is commercially or industrially confidential, we’ll consider withholding that information from our public register. 

If you think that the information you will send us may be a threat to national security you must contact the Secretary Of State before you apply. You must still send us that information with your application. We will not include this information on our public register unless the Secretary of State decides it can be included. 

See the environmental permitting guidance for guidance on national security. 

We may use your email address to contact you for user research to improve our service. You do not have to take part in the research. 

Where your personal information is processed and stored 

We store and process your personal information on servers in the UK. 

We will not transfer your personal information outside the European Economic Area. 

We do not use your personal information to make an automated decision or for automated profiling. 

How long we keep your personal information 

We keep your personal information while your permit is in use and for 7 years after you surrender it. If your permit is for a landfill site, we keep the data for 10 years after surrender. 

Removing personal information from the public register 

We will remove your personal information from the public register if: 

  • you withdraw your application 
  • we refuse your application and the time limit for appealing the decision has expired or an 
  • appeal is dismissed 
  • the information is no longer relevant for public participation purposes under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 

Contact 

Our Data Protection Team gives independent advice. They monitor how the Environment Agency 

uses your personal information. If you have questions or concerns about how we process personal information, or to make a complaint or request relating to data protection, please contact: 

Data Protection Team, Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5AH   

Email: dataprotection@environment‐agency.gov.uk 

You can also make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). 

The ICO is the supervisory authority for data protection legislation. The ICO website has a full list of 

your rights under data protection legislation 

Personal information charter

How the Environment Agency (EA) treats your personal information and how to check what details they hold about you.

 

We aim to build and maintain confidence in our decision-making processes through our public engagement and consultation. It is our responsibility to make decisions about environmental permit applications for radioactive waste disposal, but we consider that our decisions can be improved through consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. We can all help to protect and improve the environment by being actively involved. Our public participation statement shows how our process is open, transparent and consultative. Our approach to consultation is in line with the government’s published consultation principles. We would like people to understand our role in relation to radioactive waste disposal, what we are doing and why it’s important.

Our consultations are open to everyone and we invite the following groups to take part:

• the nuclear and radioactive waste disposal industry

• members of the public and communities (including local interest and action groups) near to the Winfrith site and other nuclear sites

• elected representatives, including MPs and councillors

• local councils in Dorset or near other nuclear sites

• academics, scientists and consultants with an interest in radioactive waste disposal, nuclear power, energy or the environment

• non-governmental organisations (NGOs), campaign groups and environmental groups

• statutory consultees

• other government agencies

• other regulators

• any other organisation or public bodies

We will carefully consider consultation responses as part of our determination of the application. We will publish and consult on our proposed decision.

We will only vary the permit if we believe that harm to the environment, people and wildlife will be minimised. If the applicant can demonstrate that the varied permit will meet all of the legal requirements, including those for the use of Best Available Techniques (BAT), public radiation dose and wildlife radiation dose, then we are legally obliged to grant the application.

Advice about what aspects and issues we can and cannot take account of is provided below.

We can take account of:

• relevant environmental regulatory requirements and technical standards

• information on local population habits and practices and sensitive sites

• comments on whether the right process is being used for the activity

• the potential impact, whether the impact is acceptable and what pollution control measures or abatement may be required

• the shape and use of the land around the site in terms of its potential impact, whether that impact is acceptable and what pollution control or abatement may be required

• information that we have not been made aware of in the application.

• Any incorrect information in the application

We cannot take account of:

• issues beyond those in the relevant environmental regulations

• anything outside the scope of the Environmental Permitting Regulations

• whether a site should have a formal designation under Habitats Directive or other conservation legislation

• whether the activity should be allowed or not as a matter of principle and the Justification of practices involving radiation - for example, we will not consider the justification for the UK’s nuclear energy policy.

• the impact of noise and odour from traffic travelling to and from the site

• comments about the Government’s nuclear site decommissioning policy

• Comments about the transport of radioactive waste

• the legally defined process we follow to determine a permit

Related consultations

We are also consulting on an application from Nuclear Restoration Services for a new Waste Deposit for Recovery permit (EPR/CP3329LD/A001). NRS need this permit in order to backfill the subsurface structures with the demolition wastes that are not radioactive.

Give us your views

Audiences

  • Statutory organisations
  • NGOs
  • Members of the public
  • Elected representatives, including MPs
  • Local councils
  • Academics
  • The nuclear industry

Interests

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  • Water resources
  • Habitats and wildlife
  • Waste
  • Permits
  • Nuclear
  • Environmental permitting
  • Nuclear and fusion lifecycles pages