The Borrow Pit

When the 'Rugeley B' station was built, the ground level had to be raised to ensure the new buildings would be lifted above the Trent flood plain. The material for this was dug from the area now known as the 'Borrow Pit'. The pit soon flooded with water and was turned into a sailing and fishing lake for use by the Sports and Social Club located on the site. In addition, an Environmental Centre was built adjacent to the lake, providing education on local environmental issues for school and community groups.

Coal Ash Disposal

Rugeley Power Station typically burns around 1.6 million tonnes of coal a year, producing around 240,000 tonnes of ash. Around 200,000 tonnes of this is known as 'Pulverised Fuel Ash' (PFA), which is extracted from the flue gas. The remaining 40,000 tonnes is 'Furnace Bottom Ash' (FBA), which collects at the bottom of the coal furnace.

FBA and PFA are both sold into the construction industry for a variety of uses. However, supply always exceeds demand for PFA, and the market for its sale has recently declined, in part owing to its reclassification as 'waste', which restricts its use as a reclamation material. As a result, an increasing amount is being transported off-site to be landfilled.

Rugeley Power Station's current projections are that around 35% of the total PFA produced at the Power Station can be sold. Because of this, the Power Station needs a site for the permanent disposal of approximately 1.6 million tonnes of surplus PFA. The Borrow Pit has been identified as a suitable location for this, as a feasibility study has confirmed it could be filled with PFA in a manner which would not cause damage to the environment. The pit contains enough capacity to be filled with unsold PFA between now and 2016, and will also ensure a reduction in traffic movements on public roads as the surplus PFA will no longer have to be transported off-site.

Public Consultation

Rugeley Power Station was keen to consult the community on its plans for the Borrow Pit and to explain how this fits in with other changes taking place at the Station.  We distributed over 12,000 leaflets to local households, presented to the parish and town councils, met with local councillors, attended the Rugeley Charter Fair and held public exhibitions in Armitage with Handsacre, Brereton and Rugeley.  This gave people the opportunity to learn more about current activities and future plans at the Power Station, including the Borrow Pit application, to talk to representatives of the Station and to give their comments.  It is important to us that we work together with local people and we are grateful to everyone that came along to the exhibitions and had their say.

What happens now?

Staffordshire County Council has resolved to grant planning consent for the Borrow Pit application. The next step is to obtain a permit from the Environment Agency.

The Borrow Pit is no longer be available for recreational use by the Rugeley Power Station Sports & Social Club, but we have worked closely with the Club throughout the planning process.

We remain firmly committed to the Club's future and to supporting its activities and facilities, including the other fishing ponds on the Power Station site. We are in discussions with the Club's fishing section about the safe relocation of fish from the Borrow Pit.

We are also in advanced discussions with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust and other parties about relocating the environmental education activities that used to take place at the Environment Centre next to the Borrow Pit, so that these activities can continue at alternative locations off-site.

You can find out more information about the work of our education team and our Outreach Programmes elsewhere on this website.

If you have any other queries about the Borrow Pit proposals, please contact us on:

01889 572100

or by e-mail to: enquiries@ipprugeley.com