Future historians wanting to view all the documents which tell the story of the UK's nuclear industry will have to head to Caithness.

That is where all the information and records will be of the UK's civil nuclear industry – from its beginning in the 1940s to the Windscale Fire in Cumbria in 1957 to the Dounreay shaft explosion in 1977 and on to the decommissioning of today. They are to be stored in a purpose- built archive in the county which should be open in 2016.

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has decided to proceed with its plans for a National Nuclear Archive, which will cost between £14 million and £17m.

It is expected to create 20 jobs for the town.