nuclear-news

Plans to reduce armed Civil Nuclear Constabulary escorts

7th October, By Gareth Cavanagh

NUCLEAR industry plans to reduce armed police escorts for some movements of radioactive material have raised concerns about security.

Removing “mandatory Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) armed escorts where they do not provide a proportionate security benefit,” is the proposal from Nuclear Transport Solutions, in response to a Government review.

Proposals for reducing unnecessary armed escorts were included in a collective NDA (Nuclear Decommissioning Authority) Group response to the review.

The Government’s Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review called for an end to the regulatory red tape that it believes is frustrating progress in the nuclear industry.

Sellafield Limited and Nuclear Waste Services had its own ideas in response to the review but NTS wants risk-based security requirements for certain nuclear material movements.

Rail movements of hazardous waste occur regularly to and from Sellafield site near Seascale.

Reprocessed waste is also returned to overseas customers by sea from Barrow Docks, after being taken there from Sellafield by train.

NTS says the change could reduce the cost and complexity of transport while maintaining safety and security.

It’s response estimates cost

savings of 10 to 20 per cent, if security controls were optimised rather than removed.

It also predicts time savings of four to eight weeks from the planning process.

However, concerns have been expressed about the possible effect of reducing armed protection during transport.

CNC carries out armed escorts for NTS movements of hazardous material.

It also guards the gates of Sellafield and has a police headquarters on the site.

Matt Okuhara, who served with the force from 2006 to 2012 has criticised the proposal in The i Paper.

He said: “I think it’s a bad idea, it really is. The reason you’ve got to guard this stuff in the first place is because of how dangerous it is.

“Anyone who gets hold of this material can use it for anything they want, they can use it for a dirty bomb, they can use it for a poisoning device.

“That’s why you need to have a strong deterrence force around the material in transit.”

A spokesperson for the NDA Group said the proposed changes would not remove the need for security arrangements.

Instead, NTS would be able to choose measures according to the circumstances of each shipment, while meeting regulatory requirements……………………………………………..

NDA bosses say some transport arrangements remain prescribed by the regulator, meaning some shipments must use armed police escorts even where routes and materials are considered lower risk. https://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/26611260.plans-reduce-armed-civil-nuclear-constabulary-escorts/

October 11, 2026 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK