Council battles illegal land work near nuclear site

The land is opposite the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Aldermaston site

A council is planning action over an illegal development near a nuclear weapons site.

Work has been carried out on land opposite the Atomic Weapons Establishment's Aldermaston campus despite a temporary stop notice, West Berkshire Council said.

It said the "scale and intensity of the activity" had distressed residents in the Aldermaston and Tadley areas.

An online petition said construction machinery was operating from 06:00 GMT until nearly midnight with a view to building static homes.

The petition, which has attracted more than 300 signatures, said the work had left people feeling "unsafe, anxious, and unprotected".

It added: "We urgently need intervention to stop further environmental harm, prevent unregulated development, and ensure the well-being of residents."

The landowner put in a planning application on 3 November for 13 plots, the council said.

The temporary stop notice was issued the following day.

However, unauthorised works continued over the weekend, the authority added.

It added: "We fully understand how distressing this has been for nearby residents.

"[Those] who witness threatening behaviour or feel unsafe should contact the police."

The authority said it was discussing safety issues with both Thames Valley Police and the Ministry of Defence Police.