To meet the onerous specifications EN 16893, storage repositories must represent the lowest possible risk to heritage collections. Upper Heyford was assessed against the standard's criteria for risk and Restore's stores have been recognised by the National Security Adviser and The National Archives.  Providers' stores operating under the NCS scheme meet the following:

• Security of location – Upper Heyford's ex-airforce site represents high security in a low risk location;
• Security of building – the hardened aircraft shelters, converted to storage units, are massive impregnable structures with the addition of modern security access controls;
• Low fire risk – there are no external fire risks at the site and internal risks are designed out as far as possible in the conversion by including electrical isolation out-of-hours;
• Fire protection – aspirating fire detection systems are installed to provide very early warning before a fire has taken hold and maximise investigation time should anything unexpected happen;
• Flood protection – Heyford is on a hill, well above the specified minimum hundred year flood plain level, with excellent drainage provision in and around the ex-aircraft shelters and no water supplies inside;
• Collection management – providers use tight location control and retrieval services to protect collections against loss.

For more information contact: enquiries@ncs.org.uk.