Nuclear power stations up for heritage status
Published: 19 November 2006
ONCE they were just blots on the landscape but now Scotland’s nuclear power stations could be designated for preservation as national monuments.
Historic Scotland, the body charged with preserving the nation’s heritage, says that it wants to grant listed building status to Dounreay power station in Caithness, Chapelcross in Dumfriesshire and Hunterston B in Ayrshire.
South of the border, English Heritage is considering classifying some of the earliest and most historic nuclear facilities because many are reaching the end of their lives and face imminent demolition.
It could lead to buildings that have been at the heart of some of Britain’s most controversial planning decisions being preserved in perpetuity.
Plans to strip out the plant at Dounreay are being prepared by the owner, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), in consultation with Historic Scotland, with a view to preserving its striking dome.
“We recognise the special importance of Dounreay and