ScottishPower has submitted an application for outline planning permission to Inverclyde Council for the redevelopment of the Inverkip Power Station site. The application is for a mixed-use development of up to 780 housing units and a possible mixture of small business units and shops. The proposed development will be known as ‘Brueacre Village’.
Work on the proposal has been ongoing for the last 2 years and has involved consultation with the local community, Inverclyde Council Officers and other key stakeholders.
Richard Escott, Head of Project Development at ScottishPower said: “The outline proposal for the site is inspired by many villages along this stretch of the Clyde Coast. These villages are characterised by a mix of house types, a mixture of densities and a population level that sustains a variety of local facilities including shops, bars and cafes. The goal is to create a similarly attractive and sustainable community by the sea at the site of Inverkip Power Station.”
The application is for outline planning permission and, prior to the redevelopment of the site, a detailed application will need to be submitted to the local authority. In addition a Demolition Warrant will also be required and the earliest demolition could commence is 2010, subject to the proposed future use of the site and the economic climate.
Inverkip Power Station is situated on the Clyde coast 50km west of Glasgow. Consent to build the oil fired power station was granted by the Secretary of State for Scotland in March 1970, and construction on the station commenced in October that year. The station consists of 3 x 676 MW units, and has a total generating capacity of 2028 MW.
The station was designed to meet peak demand and provide flexibility to the electricity supply network. However due to the soaring price of oil in the 1970’s the station was never commercially operated except during 1984/5 when it was required to operate. The plant was kept as a strategic reserve until the late 1990’s when the plant was mothballed.
Inverkip’s chimney is the tallest free standing structure in Scotland and third tallest in the UK. It is 236m (778ft) high and contains more than 1,400,000 bricks and 20,000 tonnes of concrete.
Media Information: Paul Ferguson – 0141 566 4515 / 07702 665 924