Ironbridge Power Station sale: Suburbia on its way to iconic site
It is one of Shropshire’s most iconic industrial sites – and soon it will become just another piece of suburbia.
The power station, which closed in November 2015, has been sold to Harworth Group for an undisclosed fee.
The developer also plans to use parts of the 350-acre site for commercial and leisure uses.
Harworth spokesman Iain Thomson said it was likely that the landmark cooling towers would be demolished to make way for the scheme.
The news has been welcomed by Shropshire Council.
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Council leader Councillor Peter Nutting said Harworth was one of the leading companies in regenerating such sites, and was delighted it would be investing in the county.
Harworth, formerly the property division of UK Coal Plc, specialises in redeveloping former collieries and other brownfield sites in schemes which typically combine major housing developments with industrial and retail uses.
High-profile
One of its most high-profile schemes is the former Orgreave coking plant in Rotherham, which is now being redeveloped to include a £50 million shopping park, 4,000 new homes and an industrial estate occupied by companies such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce.
Mr Thomson said no firm plans had yet been drawn up for Ironbridge, but it was likely to be a mixed-use scheme that would combine hundreds of new homes with commercial use.
Leisure uses and open space were also expected to form part of the scheme, he added.
He said a public consultation was due to take place towards the end of the year, with firm plans being drawn up at the beginning of 2019.
The Ironbridge, or Buildwas, power station was closed in November 2015, and was put up for sale in February, 2017.
Councillor Nutting said: “This is great news, it’s a majorly important site for Shropshire.
“Harworth Group plc is one of the leading companies in its field and we’re pleased that they’ve chosen to invest in the county, bringing with them expertise and jobs, as well as breathing new life into the area.
“Whilst the future of the site is yet to be decided, we’re excited to explore how we can work together to help us to realise our vision to make our county a great place to live, learn, work and visit.”
Councillor Nic Laurens, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for economic growth, said the council had been involved in the talks regarding the sale for some time.
“We are committed to continuing to work with the company and the community to ensure the best use of the site.
“We have every confidence that the redevelopment will bring with it lots of new jobs and provide vital new infrastructure to rejuvenate the area, while giving Shropshire’s economy a huge boost.”
Adam Archer, head of land management at power company Uniper which previously owned the site, said: “We’re delighted to have found a purchaser for the former Ironbridge power station land.
“There has understandably been great interest in what will happen to the site, and we are sure the new owners will be sharing details of their exciting plans in due course.”
Plans for the demolition of the decommissioned power station plant were submitted to Shropshire Council in autumn last year.
Subject to the appropriate approvals, Harworth Group will be taking on the responsibility for both the demolition and for the site’s redevelopment.
Owen Michaelson, chief executive of Harworth Group, said: “The redevelopment of Ironbridge power station requires an experienced regeneration company to sensitively handle the project.
“We have proved with our major developments of former coal mines and other industrial sites across the north of England and the Midlands that we have the core skills required to effectively redevelop complex sites.
“We look forward to doing the same at Ironbridge.”
Mr Michaelson said the Midlands was an important area for the company.
He said there was a shortage of new homes and commercial space in the area, with good demand from house builders and commercial occupiers alike.
“This acquisition forms part of our ongoing strategy to become the UK’s leading regeneration company,” he said.
The site is made up of approximately 240 acres of brownfield land, plus a neighbouring area of more than 100 acres of agricultural land.
The company said it would remediate the site ready for future development.
History of power station site
Construction of the original coal-fired Ironbridge A station began in the 1920s, finally opening in 1932.
The Ironbridge B power station, featuring the familiar pink cooling towers which were designed to blend in with the environment, opened in 1969.
During the construction process, project architect Alan Clark worked closely with landscape architect Kenneth Booth to minimise the impact of the towers on the Ironbridge Gorge.
A red pigment was added to the concrete used for the towers, so that they would blend in with the colour of the local soil.
Although the power station contains the fifth tallest chimney in the UK, dwarfing the Blackpool Tower and London’s BT Tower at 673ft, the towers cannot be seen at all from the Iron Bridge.
The station’s turbine hall was decoratively clad in chipped granite faced concrete panels, aluminium sheeting, and glass, which hides the metal boiler house from view. The efforts to ensure that Ironbridge B did not spoil the view of the Gorge led to it being shortlisted for a Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors/The Times conservation award in 1973.
The two power stations co-existed for several years until the older one was demolished in the early 1980s.
Ironbridge B finally closed on November 20, 2015 due to tighter regulations on emissions. Environmental group Friends of the Earth claimed the plant was the second worst polluting in the UK, and regulations meant that after January 1, 2008 it was restricted to operating for up to 20,000 hours, and was required to close by the end of 2015.
Since 2013 it had been converted to use fire wood pellets, which meant it only needed to use coal for a maximum of 20 per cent of its output. In 2014, one of its turbines and a generator were hit by fire, and its owner said the damage would not be repaired.
Retired engineer Mike Smith, who had launched Ironbridge B in 1969, returned to formally turn off the power on November 20, 2015.
