AN application has been submitted by Sellafield Ltd. for the demolition of the Calder Control Rod Mechanism Workshop, which was first built on the site in 1956.

The application to demolish the redundant control rod mechanism workshop (CRMW) located within the Sellafield site, was submitted to Copeland Borough Council last Thursday, December 1.

The Calder CRMW was first built in 1956 as a store for CO2 gas for the Calder Hall reactors, however as the site grew gas storage was moved to other sites, with the building being used for a number of different reasons before the building eventually became redundant.

A covering letter for the application said: "The building is of conventional construction which is broadly rectangular in plan and was constructed in 1956 as a building to store CO2 gas for the Calder Hall reactors.

"By 1991, gas storage had been moved to bulk storage tanks located at the south end of the building with part of the north end of the CRMW being converted to a control room for these facilities. The CO2 Valve House plant was also added to the east side of the building at same time as the bulk storage tanks and this also forms part of the demolition task.

"Another section of the building was also converted at the same time to be a decontamination and maintenance facility for equipment from the Calder Hall reactors, with changerooms added for access and egress. In 2008 the bulk storage tanks were removed and this project is to clear the rest of the redundant facilities from the site."

The company are now taking studies to look at the future redevelpment for the building site once demolished.

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A covering letter said: "The building is now redundant and has reached the end of its useful life. Sellafield Limited is currently undertaking option studies into future development options on the CRMW site.

"At present, the proposed future use is not confirmed and the CRMW requires demolition to remove unnecessary maintenance works. Given the future redevelopment at the site, the proposal is to remove the building superstructure and retain the existing concrete foundations until a future development design is confirmed."

Sellafield Ltd. said that any future development proposals will be presented to relevant stakeholders and will be subject to formal planning application and consent from the Local Planning Authority.

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