Windscale Inquiry

The Windscale Inquiry of 1977-78 examined British Nuclear Fuels Limited's application to construct the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Windscale, Cumbria. Chaired by Mr Justice Parker, the inquiry represented the first major public examination of a nuclear infrastructure project in the UK, with 100 days of public hearings establishing new standards for transparency in energy planning decisions.

Parker recommended approval of THORP, which the government accepted. Construction proceeded and the plant operated commercially from 1994 to 2018. However, the inquiry's central strategic justification—that plutonium from reprocessing would be essential for fast breeder reactors—did not materialise as the UK's fast reactor programme was subsequently abandoned.

The inquiry's procedural innovations influenced subsequent energy infrastructure examinations, particularly the Sizewell B Inquiry (1983-1985). Its approach to public participation and evidence-gathering contributed to evolving practices that eventually informed the Planning Act 2008's framework for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

The inquiry's recommendations regarding regulatory reform saw mixed outcomes. While the Radioactive Substances Act 1960 was eventually replaced by the Radioactive Substances Act 1993, the recommendation for a single inspectorate responsible for all radioactive discharges was not adopted, with regulatory responsibilities continuing to be divided between multiple bodies. The inquiry thus demonstrates both the potential and limitations of using planning inquiries to address broader questions of national energy policy.