Following consultation earlier this year, residents and interested parties are invited again to have their say on the latest plans for the Ratcliffe on Soar power station site.
A draft Local Development Order (LDO) that could give the green light to new industry and business projects and the potential of thousands of permanent highly-skilled jobs at the site is being finalised by Rushcliffe Borough Council.
A design guide and masterplan for the site has been prepared to support the redevelopment, which will guide growth and development over the coming years including the proposals linked to the previously announced East Midlands Freeport and the Development Corporation projects that could create further jobs and significant investment.
The Borough Council has made some revisions to the draft LDO in response to the consultation, comments and feedback received to date and wants to hear further views on the latest proposals by Thursday January 19, 2023 by completing the online form.
The revisions include:
- Amending the range of 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.
- To place greater limits on the extent to which the height of buildings on the Southern Area can go above 30 metres.
- Limiting the amount of development which can be occupied before road improvements are delivered or there is agreement for their delivery. This is to ensure that the roads are able to cope with increased traffic levels and to enable the road improvements to be designed to also accommodate other major developments that are planned to come forward in the local area.
- To require a public transport strategy to be approved before new development can be occupied or brought into use. This is to help increase the number of people who will travel to and from the site by bus and train.
- To require a contribution to a traffic management study for local roads at and around nearby villages and the implementation of its proposed recommendations.
- Amendments to the LDO’s Design Guide to help better ensure that a quality new environment is delivered when the power station site is redeveloped.
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.
If agreed, the LDO would grant planning permission for a range of modern industrial uses on the redeveloped site, including potentially advanced manufacturing, low-carbon energy production, battery production, energy storage, logistics, and research and development.
The vision for the site sets out the guiding principles by which the development would be brought forward, and seeks to deliver:
- A zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands
- Highly skilled jobs
- Modern industry and business uses, served by on-site sustainable energy generation and storage
- Advanced manufacturing, for example to produce electric car batteries
- A hub for research, development, and innovation, through links with universities, business support organisations and established industry.
