The new Ministry of Defence (MoD) building on the banks of the loch was given the green-light today by Argyll and Bute Council’s planning committee.

The two-storey hub, which will treat waste from nuclear submarines before disposing of it, was given the go-ahead despite more than 700 objections lodged with the council.

However, planning officials had recommended the new facility should go-ahead and they pointed out that only around 22 of the 732 people who had objected to the building live in the area around Faslane.

Many of the objection representations made were in opposition to nuclear weapons and were subsequently dismissed as political comment, or not being material to the determination of the planning application.

The proposals will still have to overcome a few minor hurdles before construction work can commence, with an assessment to be carried out on the land and seabed.

A public report, prepared for Argyll and Bute Council’s planning and regulatory services, states: “The assessment shall determine the nature and extent of any contamination on the site and identify any potential risks to human health, the water environment, property or designated ecological sites.

“Where contamination is identified then a detailed remediation scheme must be preparedsubject to the approval in writing of the Planning Authority.” The support hub is planned for an area adjacent to the ship lift in the bay at Faslane Naval Base and will be erected partly on a concrete podium with an access ramp over the Gareloch.

Radioactive liquids generated from cleaning contaminated tools and equipment and others discharged from submarine reactor plants will endure a two-step process; being filtered and ion-treated before being released into the Gareloch. Responsibility for ensuring the radioactivity is within acceptable leveles lies with Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).

SEPA had no objections or reservations regarding the development according to the report.

The MoD have stated that they do not expect any significant increase in radioactive waste discharged into the loch.

The NSH is planned to replace two buildings currently used to decontaminate solid and liquid radioactive waste from the operation of nuclear submarines.

The Active Processing Facility and the Radioactive Effluent Decontamination Facility are currently housed in separate buildings. These two buildings will be decommissioned, with the latter scheduled for demolition, on the opening of the the new hub, which will take around two-and-a-half years to build.

A spokesman for the MoD said: “Even with the greater number of submarines at Clyde Naval Base, we do not expect there to be a significant increase in radioactive waste discharge compared with historical levels.

“Discharges of small amounts of radioactive material are a normal part of operating nuclear reactors. All discharges are within strict limits, and there is no risk to the public or the environment.”