Windscale Inquiry

The Windscale Inquiry examined British Nuclear Fuels Limited's application to construct the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Windscale, Cumbria. Established in June 1977 following public concern about nuclear expansion, the inquiry conducted 100 days of public hearings under Mr Justice Parker. The inquiry recommended approval of THORP in January 1978, which the government accepted. Construction proceeded and the plant operated from 1994 to 2018, with decommissioning continuing until the 2070s.

The inquiry's procedural innovations influenced subsequent major infrastructure examinations. The Sizewell B Inquiry (1983-1985) adopted similar approaches to public participation and expert evidence. However, the Planning Act 2008 later established the Infrastructure Planning Commission (subsequently absorbed into the Planning Inspectorate), creating a different framework for examining nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The inquiry's recommendations on regulatory reform saw limited progress. While the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 was replaced by the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, this did not incorporate Parker's specific recommendations on inquiry provisions. Regulatory oversight remains divided between the Environment Agency, Office for Nuclear Regulation, and other bodies rather than the single inspectorate recommended.

The inquiry represents an important moment in the evolution of public participation in major planning decisions, though its strategic justification for THORP - based on anticipated fast breeder reactor development - did not materialise. The UK's fast breeder programme ended in the 1990s, fundamentally altering the context for plutonium management that underpinned the original approval.