Major rebuilding project at AWE site

A screening opinion request has revealed plans for a massive rebuilding project at the AWE at Aldermaston.

The AWE plans to demolish 75 buildings on a 14.2-hectare section of the site and replace them with 60,000 sq m of new floorspace, what it calls its new Hub development. Ahead of a proposed planning application, AWE, via engineering consultancy Mott MacDonald, has submitted a screening opinion request to both Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council and West Berkshire Council to establish whether an environmental impact assessment is needed. The decision will be made by West Berkshire Council.

The Hub would consist of:

A three-storey office wing
A three-storey learning wing
Two three-storey science, engineering and technology (SET) buildings with replacement laboratories and workshops which would be associated with a new Calibration building towards the northeast of it.
A three-storey multi-use building including archive stores, support facilities, facilities management workshops, welfare, gym, cyclist provision, multi-faith space, medical centre, photography studios, reprographics and media studies, IT control room, library and knowledge centre. These would be linked by a central arcade known as the Street which itself, would comprise a central reception, educational collection, exhibition space library, film viewing booth and catering areas including seating. This would link to the existing Gemini building.
A logistics store

The development aims to achieve a DREAM (Defence Related Environmental Assessment Methodology) Excellent rating.

It would take between two and a half and three years to build.