Magazine Storage Facility, Porton Down

Porton Down

Additional Magazine Storage Facility

Location - adjacent to Porton Down SSSI

Site Location

Porton Down is a Site

of Special Scientific

Interest (SSSI) notified

under the 1981 Wildlife

and Countryside Act

and covers about 1200

hectares.

It constitutes the largest

uninterrupted tract of

semi-natural chalk

grassland in Britain, a

habitat which

elsewhere has declined

by more than 80% in

the last 50 years.

As well as the

grassland there are

areas of juniper scrub

and of broadleaved,

mixed and coniferous

woodland.

32 Ha of existing arable / pasture land, adjacent to Porton Down SSSI, - areas 7 & 8, SAC and SPA

Stone-curlews nest on open, bare

ground or in areas with vegetation

height below 2 cm.

Stone Curlew Burhinus oedicnemus

It is a medium-sized wader with a strong

yellow and black beak, large yellow eyes and

cryptic plumage. The bird is striking in

flight, with black and white wing markings.

Despite being classed as a wader, this

species prefers dry open habitats with some

bare ground. It is largely nocturnal. Food

consists of insects and other small

invertebrates. It lays 2-3 eggs in a narrow

scrape in the ground.

Stone Curlew nesting sites

2010 – nearest to site is

250m to north east.

Need – “H&S imperative” Alternatives – “none”

Need:

Local, safe, sufficient

and secure storage

explosives materials.

Alternatives:

Feasibility study

identified none.

Total storage quantity

reduced and design

altered to fit site.

Alternatives: Dstl Porton Down, although 7000 acres, is limited to approx 800 acres of potential development land as approx

2/3rds of the site is designated as an SSSI/SAC/SPA.

The location of the new additional magazine storage facility in relation to other facilities/buildings within the site has to be

taken into consideration such that they and the personnel within them are not put at risk.

In 2006 a Dstl feasibility study was undertaken to review potential sites; the Met Field site was found to be the only suitable

and practicable location.

Archaeology

Layout

19 separate specialist structures - 17 surrounded by traverses, plus; roadways & tracks, security perimeter fencing &

CCTV, emergency water stores, lorry and car parking, electricity sub station, administration gatehouse, PV array, landscaping

and habitat creation / enhancement.

Buildings

Landscaping

“Random” scrub and

juniper enhancement.

Traverses towards

south, grass covered.

Open aspect retained.

Fences & Traverses

Perimeter

security

lighting

& CCTV

Perimeter security lighting

lamps, (90 watt), are

mounted on 8m

poles, within security

fenceline and are

designed to provide;

controlled low

level, minimum even

illuminance, downwards

of just 3 Lux, outside the

fence.

Dark purple line indicates

3 lux level.

CCTV cameras, using

infra red lighting, are

mounted on poles within

security fence - fixed at

50m intervals and mobile

at 100m plus corners.

Infrastructure.

Roads, tracks, s

wales and

bund.

Swales, (1m

deep), provide

SUDs and 1 in 30

year flooding

protection.

Bund provides 1 in

100 year flooding

protection.

Porton Down

Additional Magazine Storage Facility.

Full – conditional - planning approval

achieved April 2012.

John Wilde ARB RIBA Pg Dip Arch Cons.

Registered and Chartered Architect.

[email protected]

07919892135

4 Crestfield Rise Ivybridge Devon. PL21 9TJ