The site of the Dounreay nuclear energy facility in Scotland is not expected to be available for other purposes for another 313 years.

That’s the suggestion made in a new report from the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), which forecasts the 148-acre site will only become ‘dedesignated’ and totally safe for reuse in 2333.

The facility near Thurso was used to conduct research into nuclear reactors and technologies from 1955 until it was closed down in 1994 – it is now being decommissioned.

The NDA’s newly-published draft strategy notes “credible options” for the future of the site will be considered during the next two years.

The report reads: We are charged with the mission to clean-up the UK’s earliest nuclear sites safely, securely and cost-effectively. Doing this with care for our people, communities and the environment is at the heart of our work. We are committed to overcoming the challenges of nuclear clean-up and decommissioning, leaving our sites safe and ready for their next use.”