This was built within the basement of the Newbury District Council Building. It was designed as a standby for the Berkshire County Council Emergency Control Bunker underneath Shire Hall in Reading.
The building has, in recent years, been converted into flats and renamed Mill Reef House. It is unknown if the bunker still remains.
Reading Evening Post - Tuesday 07 July 1987 Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.
Elite hide-out for a holocaust
A DISASTER bunker, from where an elite squad would run parts of Berkshire in the event of a nuclear holocaust, could be built within two years.
Problems have dogged Newbury District Council’s bid to set up an emergency operations centre for the area, which could cost £250,000.
Now after negotiation with the Ministry of Defence, a scheme has been drawn up for a site close to the Berkshire military base at Hermitage.
The MoD has given “continuous approval” for a plan to site the operations centre on land near the School of Military Survey.
The council’s policy and resources committee, which mean tonight, is to discuss the site and could approve a feasibility study.
Final approval for the centre, which would house around 30 council experts to run services during both a peacetime disaster and war. rests with the Government.
Its guidelines say the shelter should be able to withstand fallout from a nuclear blast and enable the officers to run the area.
Flood It could also be used for a major civil disaster. such as a flood or air crash, to help house the homeless and keep up communications.
Alan McDonnell. emergency planning officer for the district council, said yesterday: “There is a long way to go yet.
“We have not got to the costing stage yet and the Government provides 75 per cent of the construction cost .
No images are available for this site.
No videos are available for this site.
