Ironbridge power station: How site could look if plans given green light
This is how the Ironbridge Gorge could be transformed over the coming decade if newly submitted plans for the power station site are accepted.
Power station owners Harworth have released pictures of its planned work, which will include 1,000 homes, a retail and commercial centre and a primary school.
The application, which has been submitted to Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council, also includes plans for nature corridors, public open space and the re-use of the site’s pump house to support either retail, community or river-based uses.
Planning bosses at both councils will now consider the plans, and a decision is expected to take up to 12 months to make.
Harworth said the intention to re-introduce passenger trains were still at the centre of the plans, and that it hopes the site will eventually be connected back up to Birmingham.
The application is supported by documents which explain how the plan has been arrived at, including a detailed design and access statement, a full transport assessment and a series of environmental plans including flood risk and ecological assessments.
Farewell to the towers:
Harworth has also submitted a separate application to extract up to 1.9million tonnes of sand and gravel from the site.
Stuart Ashton, head of planning at Harworth Group, said: "Local people’s feedback has been very clear – that we need to take the utmost care with the former power station site to create a long-term development to be proud of.
"As a result, our vision for the site is to create a sustainable mixed-use community that integrates with its historical roots and takes full recognition of the fact the World Heritage site is close by. It therefore has to be a development of quality that also has to properly integrate into the surrounding local network of roads, footpaths and open spaces around the site.
"People will also note that the rail-connection remains central to our redevelopment plans, to both move materials off-site and in the longer-term for passenger services that will help connect local villages to Telford and to Birmingham.
"We urge people to look over the plans in detail once published and to provide any comments back to both local authorities as they consider the application over the next few months.”
The plans are expected to appear on council websites by the end of the year.
