LETTER TO PLYMOUTH CITY COUNCIL FROM CND

Les Netherton,

Head of Environmental Services,

Plymouth City Council,

Plymouth Civic Centre,

Floor Six,

Armada Way,

Plymouth PL1 2AA. 7/1/05

Dear Sir,

Following the departure of HMS Vanguard from the Royal Naval Dockyards Devonport, you will be aware that in a matter of weeks, HMS Victorious will be admitted for an identical refit.

The announced refit period for the first refuel and refit overran due to severe problems encountered with the submarine’s radioactive core. In the report issued by the National Audit Office in December 2002 a number of concerns were raised relating to facilities that were not completed in time to conduct a full and thorough safe refit.

The NAO referred to “delays to the programme of submarine refit work”. They went on to say, “The one exception is the final part of the Primary Circuit Decontamination Building which will not be substantially completed until December 2003.This will not be in time for the refit of HMS Vanguard, but in time for that of the second Vanguard class submarine in 2004.The delayed delivery of these facilities is only acceptable because HMS Vanguard has low radiation levels. DML is therefore able to use an alternative method, involving the use of lead shielding, to allow work on the submarine to proceed. This alternative will not be available for work on the next submarine of the class. Surveys have shown that this submarine will require a fully functioning Primary Circuit Decontamination Building”.

It seems clear that a badly-prepared dockyard was rushed into service for this first refit, resulting in HMS Vanguard going to sea last week, still carrying an unflushed Primary Circuit. Will this result in increased marine contamination when HMS Vanguard returns for overhaul in 2012?

Before HMS Victorious enters the Dockyards CND would like to make some recommendations to the Council. We would urge the Council to challenge the MOD as to whether all Dockyard facilities are now fully functioning and present no safety risks to the Dockyard workers or the city population.

We would also recommend that the Council asks for reassurances from the MOD that serious problems encountered with refueling and fitting of a new design of core to HMS Vanguard, resulting in costly delays, will not repeat themselves in this next refit. With the last few years of operational disasters that the Navy has experienced, the public has lost confidence in the service’s much vaunted safety record.

CND understands that two Trafalgar class submarines are at the moment unable to leave port due to safety concerns related to the well-publicised Tireless fault in this class of submarine, again proving an embarrassment for the Navy. The reactors in the Trafalgar class are not dissimilar to one fitted to the Vanguard class. Could we see this generic fault repeating itself in the larger vessels in a few years’ time?

Finally we would suggest that the Council consults with the Dockyards to review the results of the recent emergency exercise “Short Sermon”. David Fletcher, EPO for Plymouth Council, will no doubt be re-examining the evacuation procedures for Plymouth in the light of changing advice from Government. Perhaps the final report on the findings from the exercise should be made available immediately, so that the public can be assured that its interests in the safety areas are being fully looked after.

We feel sure the Council will be seeking assurances on a number of areas of concern that will have arisen following HMS Vanguard’s protracted visit to the Royal Dockyards.

CND hopes to have assisted Plymouth in examining this controversial issue, and asks “Is there cause for concern?”

Yours sincerely,

Patrick M. Van den Bulck

Campaigns Officer National CND