By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents across Rushcliffe and the wider county are being asked to give their views on future plans to transform the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station site.
Rushcliffe Borough Council has launched the consultation after it approved a draft Local Development Order (LDO) for the 265-acre site. The process will determine how the power station will be used in the future.
The LDO will give the site owner and new businesses the chance to reuse parts of the land that become redundant when the power station is decommissioned in two years’ time.
The land has already been partially earmarked under East Midlands Freeport plans, with parts of the power station to become a tax-free hub for clean energy and manufacturing.
It is hoped the approval of the LDO would give planning powers to the council and allow for new businesses to be up and running by September 30, 2026 – the final date for when firms must be operational to gain 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.
Other plans included for the LDO include the creation of thousands of highly skilled jobs and the opportunity for modern industry, advanced manufacturing and a skills hub.
If the LDO is approved in its full form, it will come with a design guide and masterplan for the site, which will guide the redevelopment of the land over the coming years.
This will allow the site operator Uniper to drive the power station forward and turn it into a major hub for jobs and growth.
Councillor Simon Robinson (Con) is the leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council.
He said: “The power station will close at the end of September 2024 in line with government policy to end coal-fired power generation.
“An LDO could secure its long-term future for it to remain a site of local, regional and national importance.
“Many power station sites often remain vacant for years after they have closed and the council is therefore taking this proactive approach to assist in maximising its potential.”
The power station site has also been confirmed as a hub for high-speed rail travel, with the adjacent East Midlands Parkway railway station becoming a terminal for HS2 in the coming decades.
This is expected to significantly reduce travel time for passengers between Nottingham, London and Birmingham, with the city and Derby also receiving high-speed railway improvements at their central stations.
“With HS2 at the adjacent East Midlands Parkway also set to arrive in the future, it’s important to positively shape the future of the site and the LDO could deliver a major part of its future,” Cllr Robinson added.
Rushcliffe Council has confirmed residents can give their views and find out more about the LDO by visiting its website between now and Monday, September 5.
Two community events will also be held in August, with one event between 3pm and 7pm on August 16 at Thrumpton Village Hall, and the second at the same time two days later at Gotham Memorial Hall.
