Dounreay security stepped up after £7m fence failures
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A year last December, £7 million of taxpayers’ money was spent on putting up a new perimeter fence in line with a nationwide step-up in security arrangements at all UK nuclear sites.
Site licence company DSRL has had to place a follow-up contract in the wake of reports of persistent malfunctioning of the electrics in sections of the replacement fence.
A DSRL spokeswoman yesterday confirmed that construction of extra fencing has been completed. She said: “Additional fencing has been installed and security enhancements are ongoing.
“These changes are designed to enhance our existing security arrangements and in no way suggest that the security level or requirements at any of our sites has changed.”
DSRL would not confirm if the work follows faults with the electrics in the replacement fence.
“The security of the site and its nuclear materials continues to be our highest priority,” said the spokeswoman.
“We do not believe it is in the public interest to disclose detailed information about the measures we take to ensure the site and the nuclear materials remain secure at all times.”
Last August, the contract to erect the new fence in December 2011 had to be settled by an industry arbitration panel. Construction firms MM Miller, of Wick, and Lybster-based John Gunn & Sons put up the fence, which was extended from around the high-security fuel cycle area to circle the entire site.
The contract also included upgrading other fences, installing additional anti-vehicle defences and changes to personnel access arrangements.
After the work was completed, DSRL claimed there had been an over-payment, totalling £150,000, to the contractors.
It is believed it maintained the firms had charged at the wrong rate for the job but the dispute was resolved by the panel in favour of the two firms.
DSRL would yesterday not comment on the cost of the new work or whether the expense would impact on the budget it has to decommission the site.
The cost of security has escalated significantly at Dounreay in recent years. Since the work in 2011, a handful of reinforced pillar boxes have been erected at the site as part of the contingency arrangements to defend against a terrorist attack.
The in-house Civic Nuclear Constabulary is also in the throes of planning to install a new £2.2 million firing range on ground at the foot of the entrance road to the adjoining Ministry of Defence site at Vulcan.
