Nuclear bunkers preserved and used as light industrial buildings

13:01:20 29th January 2010

A set of historic nuclear bunkers remaining from the Cold War are to be used as light industrial buildings, it has been revealed.

The Guardian reports that the concrete bunkers, located at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire, are to be protected and preserved following a planning inquiry into the future of the site.

Used to house American nuclear bombers in the Cold War, some of the aircraft shelters will continue in light industrial use, while others will be preserved as a museum.

Regional director of English Heritage Andy Brown told the news provider he hoped the site would become a "conservation milestone".

"The decision to safeguard these structures brings England's Cold War heritage into the mainstream, alongside the Georgian and Victorian buildings that people more often think of as our architectural heritage," he said.

Throughout the Cold War, RAF Upper Heyford served as a base for United States Air Force Strategic Air Command bombers, and United States Air Forces in Europe tactical reconnaissance, and fighter aircraft in the UK.