AFTER more than 50 years on site Magnox has bid farewell to its offices at Berkeley nuclear power station.

Opening in 1961 and at its height seeing over 700 staff working on the site at any one time, the land that originally made up Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories has now been handed over to South Gloucestershire and Stroud College to be redeveloped into a university technical college.

Initially established as a research and development centre for engineering, technical and radiological issues by the Central Generating Electricity Board, Magnox staff have been present at the site since the beginning.

During September the remaining 193 staff have been relocated to Oldbury Technical Centre, Oldbury-on-Severn to allow the land to be re-used, after the area was delicensed as a nuclear site by the Office for Nuclear Regulation in 2006.

Beverley Grey, Magnox business director, commented: “Berkeley Centre has been central to Magnox’s work, and the innovations that were developed there have contributed to the wider UK nuclear industry.

“The site has been part of the local area for generations and we are pleased to know that it will continue to play an important role in developing the engineers of the future.”