Rugeley power station site earmarked for school's construction

The new school would be built on the site of the former Rugeley power station

A new school could be built on the site of a former power plant in Staffordshire.

A planning application has been lodged to develop the county's first all-through school at the Rugeley power station site.

It would provide up to 420 primary and 750 secondary school places, along with space for 52 nursery children and 200 sixth formers.

The plans include a games area, sports pitches, a sports hall and car parking.

Jonathan Price, county council cabinet member for education, said: "Building this school is incredibly important, as it means we can address pressures on school places locally and add much needed capacity in the area."

The planning application for the new school was submitted by contractor BAM Construct Ltd.

The cooling towers in Rugeley were demolished in June 2021

The four towers of the power station were demolished in June 2021 after Engie was granted planning permission for the redevelopment.

The re-development is being funded by the Department for Education as part of the government's free schools programme.

Contributions have also been made by the county council and utilities firm Engie, which owns the land.

The school would be run by the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust and if the scheme gets the go ahead, it would be scheduled to open in September 2025.

It is part of plans to transform the site into a "sustainable and innovative neighbourhood".

As well as the school, the wider development includes more than 2,000 homes, business units and a country park.