The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) building will house records from all the civil nuclear sites in the UK and will also store files about the area’s history and the Dounreay nuclear site.

The NDA says the investment will create 30 new jobs.

Plans for the facility are set to go before Highland Council next week. The proposed location for the archive is on a brownfield site near Wick Airport Industrial Estate. The site had previously been occupied by the RAF.

If approved, the development would be scheduled for completion by late 2016.

Simon Tucker, NDA’s head of information governance, said: “We are delighted that the officers’ report recommends approval for this significant project, and look forward to the outcome of the decision-making process next week.”