Ex-power station site sold to regeneration specialists
ONE of the region’s former power station sites is to be regenerated into a residential and leisure estate.
Ironbridge Power Station in Shropshire, which closed down in 2015, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by Rotherhambased Harworth Group which specialises in land regeneration and property investment.
The site near the historic Ironbridge Gorge, home to the world’s first major bridge made from cast iron, comprises 240 acres of brownfield land and a further 100 acres of agricultural land.
Ironbridge Power Station came into action in 1969 and was last operated by E.on but was required to close by the European Union’s Large Combustion Plant Directive which relates to the reduction of emissions.
Howarth Group said it now planned to remediate the site to prepare it for future development and to promote the land with the aim of creating a new mixed-use estate of several hundred new homes, public space and commercial and leisure uses.
Owen Michaelson, chief executive of Harworth Group, said: “The redevelopment of Ironbridge Power Station requires an experienced regeneration company to sensitively handle the project.
“The Midlands market remains a key priority for the business as we continue to expand our presence in the region.
“With the continued undersupply of new homes and commercial space, there is good demand from housebuilders and commercial occupiers alike.
“This acquisition forms part of our ongoing strategy to become the UK’s leading regeneration company.”