The UK’s last-remaining coal-fired power station will close down for good in two weeks, marking the end of an era for people in the East Midlands. Ratcliffe-on-Soar, which has been generating electricity for more than half a century, stands as a sign of home to many living in the region. For those living nearby it has been both a landmark and a direct influence on their lives.
The site will close on 30 September and decommissioning, which is set to take two years, will begin immediately after. As well as the practical shift in energy production, the closure marks the end of an era in the local community. Mary Weston-Webb, from Redhill Marina, is one of the closest to live to the cooling towers.
She said: “The number of people that come and photograph it, particularly when we get the steam coming off the chimneys and mixing with the clouds and things. "There are some stunning sunsets, sunrises, beautiful photos of it.” But she admitted it had had an impact beyond the visual.
She said: “It does seem silly to be attached to it but it will be very sad when it goes. “We did used to get black spots on the washing when we were hanging it out, and black spots on the car roofs that were acid. “It was a concern but they have spent quite a lot of money I believe and put all that right, so it wasn’t a problem.
“My grandchildren know as soon as they see the towers, that they’re near my house.” Margaret Osborne, 85, came to Ratcliffe-on-Soar from Ireland when she was young and later inherited the land where the power station was built. “The power station took about two or three hundred acres off of us, we had a big farm”, she said.
“We take no notice of it because we’ve lived here all our life, we’ve got used to it.” “It’s a bit noisy at times when they let the steam off”. “I won’t miss it at all”, Ms Osborne said.
Energy company Uniper, which owns the power station, said 125 staff will stay on to decommission the site. The firm hopes the site could eventually become a zero-carbon technology and energy hub. The cooling towers will only be demolished once decommissioning is complete.
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