The retrieval of waste from ageing buildings at the most hazardous nuclear site in the UK is not happening quickly enough, MPs have warned.

In its report on decommissioning Sellafield, in northwest England, members of parliament’s public accounts committee warned that the estimated £136bn (€161bn, $183bn) cost of the project would rise even more if work is further delayed, while expressing scepticism as to whether or not recent signs of improvement in performance could represent another false dawn.

In a detailed report into the site, the committee said Sellafield was not moving quickly enough to tackle its biggest hazards; raised the alarm over its culture; and said the government was not ensuring value for money was being achieved from taxpayer funds.