Ironbridge power station redevelopment set to go-ahead

Plans to turn the 141-hectare site of Ironbridge's former power station into a place for 1000 new homes plus a primary school and medical centre have finally got the thumbs up.

Shropshire county council has granted outline planning permission to developers Harworth Group on the condition they increase the proportion of affordable homes from five to ten per cent.

The group's Midlands director David Cockroft said: "Our master plan will transform this former industrial site into a sustainable new community, providing additional homes, jobs and infrastructure for local people."

The scheme will include a retirement village, shops, a rail link, business, sports and leisure sites.Harworth has agreed to pay £913,750 for a new medical centre and increase funds for road improvements by £350,000.

Building set to start early 2022

The tenure-mix and traffic concerns had proved a sticking point with councillors who had rejected the scheme last month following three years of working on the plans.

"We have worked with stakeholders every step of the way to ensure this is a long-term development that the community can be proud of, and one that is well connected to the existing local network of roads, footpaths and open spaces that surround the site," said Mr Cockcroft.

Construction of the first phase of the development is expected to begin early next year with Harworth acting as the master planner selling serviced residential parcels to house builders.

Brokers Hank Zarihs Associates said lenders would be keen to offer construction loans to builders who had bought plots on the site.

Harworth paid £6.4m for the site in 2018 demolishing the site's cooling towers back in 2019 four years after the closure of the power station in 2015.