Ratcliffe power station revamp powers sought by council

New powers to help convert a power station into an industrial and research hub, have been proposed.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire occupies a 265-hectare (655 acre) site but the coal-fired facility is due to be decommissioned in October 2024.

Rushcliffe Borough Council has unveiled the Local Development Order (LDO), to help it oversee the site's reuse.

Plans are already in place for a East Midlands Freeport and renewable energy Hydrogen Gigafactory.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the LDO will give Uniper, the site owner, and new companies, the opportunity to reuse parts of the land that become redundant once the power station is decommissioned.

Part of the existing power station will be replaced by a waste incinerator, a scheme which has provoked opposition from environmental campaigners.

Council documents state the remainder of the site will provide a "significant redevelopment opportunity".

Under the LDO, it will have extra planning powers in time for new businesses to be up and running by September 2026 - the final date for which firms must be operational to qualify for full Freeport benefits.

These benefits include allowing businesses to import and export while avoiding tariffs and reducing red tape, with a 'Freeport zone' classified as a low or zero-tax area.

Loughborough-based energy company Intelligent Energy has confirmed plans for 1,000 jobs at a hydrogen plant at the site, which it said could become a "powerhouse for green manufacturing".

The area has also been shortlisted as a possible site for a government backed fusion reactor.

Last week it was confirmed the nearby East Midlands Parkway station will become a hub for high-speed rail travel connecting to Nottingham, Derby, Birmingham and London.

Andy Edyvean, council portfolio holder for business and growth, said: "There is a clear vision for the development of this site already outlined in the Freeport and East Midlands Development Corporation.

"The LDO gives Rushcliffe a great deal of control to ensure the site is developed within the vision put forward by the landowners, supported by the borough to bring economic prosperity and opportunity for the future."

The authority is expected to approve the draft order in May or June 2022.

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