Questions have been raised over West Berkshire Council's ability to properly scrutinise planning applications for a multi-billion pound upgrade to AWE Aldermaston.
The council says the massive proposal will need specialist help and could cost tens of thousands in consultants. The Government's £15bn defence investment covers the UK's nuclear warhead programme, including AWE Aldermaston and Burghfield. Security-cleared consultants working on defence or submarine programmes command a market premium. A Google search puts them upwards of £1,000 per day.
The nuclear site will submit plans described as being on the scale of London 2012 in complexity. The AWE project lead is Andrew McNaughton CBE - he led key work for London 2012 and has compared the Future Materials Campus to that scale.
The issue was raised at last night's council meeting.
"Government-funded plans for the multi-billion pounds Future Materials Campus (FMC) at AWE's Aldermaston site will see planning applications coming forward soon," said Dominic Boeck (Con, Aldermaston).
"How will the council support and engage constructively with residents, local councils and businesses on this enormous development?
"AWE have compared the scale and complexity of the proposed FMC development with London 2012.
"What specific assurance can the lead member give that council has sufficient planning, emergency planning and other relevant technical resources and expertise to undertake a thorough and independent assessment of the application, including its implications for residential safety, emergency preparedness and amenity within and around the Aldermaston DEPZ?"
Deputy council leader Denise Gaines (Lib Dem, Hungerford and Kintbury) said: "We take the safety of residents and people at AWE very seriously.
"The anticipated planning application is going through the process.
"At this stage of the proposal it is a pre application.
"This is a confidential part of the process between council officers and the applicant.
"This sets out a clear timetable for a major and complex application.
"As with any planning application it will be assessed by a team of qualified professionals to ensure that all relevant technical and environmental matters are considered and evaluated either in house or by specialist external consultants."
There is a statement of community involvement and talks are planned with the council's emergency planning service and the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
"My concern and my community's concern is the scale of this project," added Mr Boeck.
"Of course we understand it is a matter of national security, but there are concerns about how this multi-billion pound project will impact us here.
"I appreciate much will be done behind the wire, but the trucks have got to roll."
When councils face enormous planning applications like London 2012 or major urban regenerations, standard local planning mechanisms are usually adapted, bypassed or heavily augmented to handle the size, complexity and sensitivity.
Niki Hinman, Local Democracy Reporter
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