Revised plans submitted for Rugeley Power Station site

The news comes after both Cannock Chase Council and Lichfield District Council approved outline plans in January to transform the site into 2,300 homes, housing for the elderly, commercial buildings and a primary school. The fifth demolition using explosives brought down another part of the former power station in February.

Now the site's owners ENGIE have submitted a revised planning application for the redevelopment of its site, which includes the addition of either an all-through school (ATS) serving nursery pupils up to post 16 students or a stand alone primary school, along with new sports provision for both school and community use.

The John Taylor Multi-Academy Trust is seeking Government support for an all-through school on the site that would provide 52 nursery places, a 2 Form Entry Primary School, a 5 Form Entry Secondary School and post-16 provision for up to 200 students. The school would occupy 7.85 hectares of land.

If this is unsuccessful, the planning application amendment seeks a primary school as the second option occupying 2.5 hectares of land.

The all through school would be located in the centre of the site near a proposed Solar Meadow providing solar energy to the redevelopment.

In addition to the educational provision, the amended application includes sports provision to supersede some of the facilities provided by the former Rugeley Power Station Sports and Social Club which closed in 2017.

Shared

The sports provision will cover 2.26 hectares and will include a multi-games area, an all-weather football pitch, a grass football pitch, an under-15/16 years grass football pitch, a hard games area for sports including tennis, an indoor sports hall, a cricket pitch, and smaller pitches and an area for primary school use.

This provision will be shared by the schools and the wider community outside school hours as part of a proposed section 106 agreement with both councils.

The overall application to provide up to 2,300 dwellings and residential units and up to five hectares of employment land remains as approved with the granting of outline planning permission.

Dean Piper, head of economic prosperity at Cannock Chase Council said: “This revision marks a significant to change to the application and if approved by the council’s planning committee would provide benefit to the community, not least in the aspiration to address the current challenges around secondary education provision in the town.

“The academy trust’s application for a free school has gained the support of Staffordshire County Council. If approved the ATS would open from September 2023 as part of the plans.

“Comments on the application can be made on the council’s website or by email to developmentcontrol@cannockchasedc.gov.uk. These need to be received by 15 June 2020.”