ANTI-NUCLEAR campaigners demanded the government close its Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Burghfield today after it blocked the development of 15,000 homes.

The government said plans for a new “garden town” could not be built because residents could be in danger from a “reasonably foreseeable” radiation emergency from the base.

Peace campaigners say that the development plan was irresponsible — but insist it is another reason to close the site.

Three developers wanted to build the houses near the small village of Grazeley, south of Reading in Berkshire. The scheme, which included affordable housing, was originally backed by three local authorities.

But formal objections were raised by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which said that there would be “real risks” for people living in the new homes because it would be “challenging” to evacuate or shelter them quickly during a radiation emergency.

The MoD’s eight-page letter of objection also expressed concern that the ministry might have to pay for expensive extra safety measures if the development went ahead.

After the MoD objected, local councils withdrew their support for the development, but the developers took the issue to a judicial review, which ruled against the plan.

David Cullen of the Reading-based Nuclear Information Service, which is a non-profit organisation opposed to nuclear weapons, told the Morning Star: “Obviously there is a huge need for houses in the south-east, but this site was never appropriate. 

“It would have been completely irresponsible to put housing there.”

Juliet McBride is part of Aldermaston Women’s Peace Camp, which staged a monthly protest at Aldermaston AWE in Berkshire before the pandemic lockdown. She said: “Burghfield should close.”