Dounreay Dome

[John Little]

"It is so easy to say something with no knowledge."

So true - so true....

[Moira]

It does beg the question just what is the actual thought process behind all this! <snip>

Would your Group be prepared to put this question to them? I'd re-phrase the p'ing though.

I note from the press report that "half of the money (£1m) would have been spent in the next two years, with the rest spent...... in 10 years' time." Also "it (the dome) was traditionally repainted every 10 years". According to Colin Punler, spokesman for DSRL, the decommissioning of the reactor "would take another 20 years to complete"

What then, or indeed anytime between now and then? Perhaps another press report to say that their collective "guess-timates" were flawed, the Dome is no longer fit for purpose and an acceleration of the decommissioning process is necessary. Goodbye Dome.

I realise I'm being cynical in my thought process and have little knowledge of the Nuclear industry but it brings sharply to mind an old Caithness saying. "There's something no' richt wrong here".

[John Little]

"There's something no' richt wrong here"

Aye - you are right Moira.

One of the funny things to me is the very noticeable silence of the Groat on this thing.

I wonder why that might be?

[John Little]

Hmmmm...

http://www.dounreaystakeholdergroup....wnload1699.pdf

[Moira]

The advert for the Dounreay Stakeholders Group has been broadcast over local radio for the past week. No details announced for the next meeting, but apparently the date and time will be announced in the local press.

[John Little]

Perhaps one of the stakeholders could ask why, when NDA and DSRL both say that there may be circumstances where the Sphere may be saved, that they do not bother to clarify this with the public? They seem keen to release every other bit of trivia to the press - but not this.

They say that there is plenty of time for a body to come forward with proposals to develop the Sphere yet do not wish people to know that- or so it appears.

[John Little]

http://www.mnactec.cat/ticcih/industrial_heritage.htm

[orkneycadian]

At the rate these buildings are exploding in Japan, maybe we should get shot of the one at Dounreay, just in case.....

[John Little]

Just in case.... what?

[orkneycadian]

Alternatively, they are getting a bit short of reactor buildings in Japan at the moment. Might we worth a pound or 2 to export it over there?

[John Little]

And the winner of the award for most original Org comedian is...

[ducati]

http://forum.caithness.org/showthrea...t-Job-Scrapped

Damn, that's my bid booted then

[John Little]

Patience Duke - we have made some headway and a post follows in the next day or so.

[John Little]

An update on the Sphere

As we have said previously, both NDA and DSRL have stated that there is plenty of time for a body to come forward with a scheme for redeveloping the Dounreay Sphere in a way that does not add to the cost or interfere with decommissioning.

Logically the body to do this was and is Historic Scotland who have oversight of, and duty of care towards Scotland’s Industrial Heritage buildings. So we wrote to them and asked what their position was in the light of this clarification that the Sphere may not necessarily have to be demolished. They have now replied.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

As they have already stated publicly, in the foreword to the heritage strategy, they recognise the importance of the site, its place in engineering and its broader history, this information is happily released. The significance of the achievement in the Sphere is acknowledged.

They are mindful that while the NDA mandate remains in place for the work of decommissioning the Sphere, what will remain will not be the engineering achievement which they laud, rather an empty shell in a re-defined context.

They add the reassurance that they will continue to remain involved with the Dounreay Heritage Advisory Panel and will, as is fitting to their remit, keep an open-mind to changing circumstances.

……………………………………………………………………………………..


That is to say that Historic Scotland are keeping an open mind as to the future of the Sphere in the context of what becomes possible with the passage of time. We do not agree that the Sphere would be an ‘empty shell’ however; we view it as remarkable and unique architecture in itself.

Recognition that there are circumstances under which the sphere might be retained is a considerable advance on the original position that it would definitely be demolished.

Given the dangerous nature of decommissioning, this group must be content that Historic Scotland is keeping an open mind. Further agitation for retention at this point would be futile until the radioactive parts of the reactor are removed.

DSRL are uncertain about what the condition of the Sphere will be after decommissioning.
This is also the case with NDA but they are keeping an open mind about it.

The fact is that the Dounreay Sphere is going through a process which, when it ends, will not necessarily entail its destruction. The bodies who are concerned with its future have something of a flexible view towards its future.

We are happy with this situation for the moment; any other view would probably be unreasonable.

The decision not to paint the Sphere, in view of the uncertainty surrounding its future, is one we regret. We hope that DSRL will at least patch the paint where needed. However the steel of the Sphere was coated with zinc before it was assembled in order to resist rust and it may fare better than some folk think.

……………………………………………………………………………………….


There is one more task for this group to perform at the moment and that is to clarify this matter to the general public. Most people think that the Sphere is going to be demolished.

It ain’t necessarily so – so why not tell people?

[gleeber]

Very well done to everyone who caused this change of direction to happen.

[John Little]

I should point out that DSRL's view is that their position has not changed since last September. I interpret that to mean that they have always had an open mind as to the future of the Sphere after decommissioning.

It is this that needs clarifying.

[ClachanHope]

The Atkins Heritage Report is such a compendium of misinformation and innuendo that demolishing the sphere on the grounds that it was infested with vampires would be more believable.

Did those Vampires come from Portgower.??

[Moira]

Thanks for the update John, much appreciated.

[John Little]

It appears that the Heritage Lottery fund is not as short of cash as I thought...

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/lotte...015727.article

Recession or not - geography is all.

[John Little]

It is an intrinsic good to be accurate. Since I have been working on a false assumption it would be well to set the record straight. I had been thinking that Richard S Brocklesby, the architect of the Dounreay Sphere, was Scottish. The reason is this;

http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk....php?id=401394

It seems that the 'Dictionary of Scottish Architects' is no such thing. More properly it is a dictionary of architects who have built notable structures in Scotland. It's a misnomer I find rather irritating and misleading.

Richard Shearwood Brocklesby was born in Croydon, South London, the son of John Brocklesby, famous as a member of the 'Arts and Crafts' school of architects.

He was English

But the fabrication, engineering and construction of the Sphere were purely Scottish - that is certain.