A year on: Hopes are high for Ironbridge Power Station future
It is exactly a year today since smoke last billowed from its chimneys – but there is hope for the future of Ironbridge Power Station.
The site, in Buildwas Road,
and is still being decommissioned.
But work is now going on behind the scenes to find the best use for the plant after it was officially switched off following 46 years of service due to an EU directive.
Under EU rules, ageing plants like Ironbridge were legally limited in the emissions they can produce and its operating hours were restricted in 2008.
The EU's Large Combustion Plant Directive said the station had to end its life after passing the milestone of generating power for 20,000 hours since January 1, 2008.
Former employee Mike Smith turned the power off just after 2.30pm.
Mr Smith, who retired from his role as shift charge engineer at Ironbridge in 1992, was invited back to press the button to cease generation and mark the plant's closure.
So far, there has been mixed reactions to the potential loss of the towers, with many saying they would miss such an iconic feature of the Ironbridge Gorge.
But councillors from both Telford & Wrekin Council and Shropshire Council say they are optimistic the site could be used to bring huge benefits to the area.
Telford Steam Railway has already expressed an interest to use the closure of the power station as a way to extend its line south from its current station at Lawley into the Ironbridge Gorge, providing new means of transport and a tourist attraction.
Shropshire Council has also appointed a member of staff on a salary of £90,000 to bring more business to the county and look after key sites like the power station.
Chief executive Clive Wright said they wanted to bring in the "right sort of businesses" to the county and make use of soon-to-be-important sites, such as the former Ironbridge Power Station and Clive Barracks, near Market Drayton.
Though its position in Buildwas puts the power station under Shropshire Council, the power station has always been an imposing feature over the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site.
Councillor Nicola Lowery, ward member for the Gorge, said she hoped any future plans for the site would offer the best outcome for the area.
"The Ironbridge Power Station has contributed significantly to our local history," she said. "At the height of its generating capacity many local people were employed and it made an important contribution to our economy.
"A year on, as we look towards the future for Ironbridge Power Station, it is imperative proposals are explored that will positively contribute to Ironbridge Gorge Unesco World Heritage Site as it is will be instrumental in assessing the suitability of the possible uses."
Councillor Lowery, as an Ironbridge resident herself, believes the power station should be used to boost the existing tourism trade in the town.
And they are sentiments that have been echoed by Shropshire Council's cabinet member for planning, Councillor Malcolm Price, who said the site needed to be used for more than just housing.
Councillor Lowery added: "The Ironbridge Gorge continues to draw many thousands of visitors a year to our region.
"But I do feel there is still further potential to raise the profile of the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site status and the closure of the Ironbridge Power Station provides a rare and unique opportunity to expand our infrastructure.
"To do this will require innovation and well thought master planning, as well as considering how we sustainably expand our infrastructure alongside, hospitality and leisure sectors to broaden our destination offering and create further employment opportunities to stimulate the local economy.
"I am greatly in support of the introduction of a Heritage Rail link into Ironbridge using the existing freight line to the power station that would see visitors and residents steaming into a World Heritage site on a heritage steam train.
"I am currently working with Telford Steam Railway to ensure they have support from Telford & Wrekin Council, as well as working with Lucy Allan, Telford's MP, to explore additional funding and opportunities for creating a heritage rail line using the existing network owned by Network Rail. As the ward member I am committed to raising the profile of Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site as a site of outstanding international significance and protecting our historical assets.
"The power station sits within the boundary of Shropshire Council but the future use for the site will have a consequential impact on our World Heritage Site."
English Heritage previously said the towers could not be protected as they do not meet strict criteria.
Uniper said it plans to begin demolition work in the middle of 2017 and work to clear the huge site will take about three years.
There were 130 workers on site when the plant closed and a small team of 14 has been kept on after the shutdown to oversee a 15-month period of the decommissioning.
