Ratcliffe on Soar power station site has received Local Development Order (LDO) planning permission status that could fast-track new investment, green industry and business projects and potentially create thousands of permanent highly-skilled jobs.
Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Full Council meeting passed a vote in favour of the order at a meeting on Thursday 13 July.
The power station, owned by international energy company Uniper, will close at the end of September 2024 in line with government policy to end coal-fired power generation.
The LDO could now increase the speed at which planning processes could be progressed for a range of modern industrial uses and the vision for the site sets out guiding principles by which any development could be brought forward, including:
- A zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands
- Highly skilled, well-paid jobs
- Modern industry and business uses, served by on-site sustainable energy generation and storage
- Advanced manufacturing and low-carbon energy production, for example to produce electric car batteries
- A hub for research, development, and innovation, through links with universities, business support organisations and established industry.
Local residents and businesses had a chance to have their say on the proposals in a series of consultations in 2021 and 2022.
Revisions to The Order saw it address permitted uses on the Southern Area and land south of
the A453 to those limited
specifically to low carbon energy production and storage or manufacturing uses delivering the net zero transition.