Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection:
January 2026
Aim of inspection
GE Healthcare Ltd has requested to revoke the existing nuclear site licence (No. 32A) for the Grove Centre site and seeks to delicence the northern end of site while securing a replacement licence for the southern end. The aim of this inspection is to assess the suitability of GE Healthcare Ltd's arrangements regarding the changes involved in the Relicensing Project for the Grove Centre in Amersham.
Subject(s) of inspection
- Health & Safety at Work Act - Rating: Green
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
GE Healthcare Ltd (GEHC) has requested to revoke the existing nuclear site licence (No. 32A) for the Grove Centre (TGC) site and seeks to delicence the northern end of site while securing a replacement licence for the southern end. ONR undertook an inspection on 13th January 2026 to assess some aspects of GEHC's readiness for the changes involved in the proposed relicensing project.
This inspection will contribute to a wider project assessment report (PAR) which will consider further factors in the overall suitability of GEHC's relicensing proposal. For example the status of remediated land that is proposed to be delicenced as well security considerations.
This inspection focussed on various factors such as GEHC's:
- Marking of the revised nuclear site boundary;
- Proposed access to the site (through the delicensed area);
- Plans for future decommissioning (in the south end of site) including the storage and disposal of nuclear materials;
- Adequacy of safety cases for the remaining facilities including tolerance to changes made due to the relicensing;
- Emergency arrangements for the site; and
- Organisational capability.
GEHC responded to questions raised during the inspection and provided some evidence retrospectively. My conclusion from the evidence sampled was I have no significant concerns with GEHC's proposals for relicensing TGC and I assigned a RAG rating of GREEN to the inspection. As stated above, further consideration will be given in a PAR before a formal recommendation will be made regarding the adequacy of GHEC's proposed relicensing project.
Conclusion
I was provided with assurance there is sufficient capacity on site (within the a forementioned facilities) to house all the active wastes that will be generated as part of the onward decommissioning programmes. Based on my sample on the day of the inspection I judged I have no concerns regarding waste management from a re-licensing perspective.