Residents urged to watch cooling tower demolition online

Staffordshire Police is urging residents to watch the demolition of Rugeley Power Station cooling towers online in-keeping with government coronavirus rules.

The four cooling towers, which each stand at 117m tall, are due to be demolished at 11am on Sunday 6 June.

The exclusion zone will extend along the A51 between the Trent Valley roundabout and the new Hawksyard Estate roundabout from 5.30am to approximately 3pm on 6 June.

A diversion route will be clearly marked and it is hoped that the exclusion zone will be lifted by midday.

The demolition is the ninth to take place at the site and there is no public viewing area.

Anyone wishing to view the event is asked to follow the live stream at: http://www.rugeleypower.com/closure-news/.

A further blow-down of a smaller structure is also due to take place on the day, having previously been delayed due to coronavirus restrictions.

Company ENGIE hope that the full demolition of the site will be completed by the end of the year as part of its plans to redevelop the site.

Chief Inspector Becky Hyde, of Cannock Chase Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: “Though I understand the public’s interest in this demolition, I would urge them to not attend the location on the day as there are no public viewing facilities.

“In addition, in-line with latest coronavirus restrictions, residents are not encouraged to attend in order to help protect themselves and others from the virus.

“Anyone who wishes to watch the demolition can do so online and this is the safest way to spectate the event."

To find out more about the Rugeley Power Station development, visit: http://www.rugeleypower.com/.

An FAQ sheet from ENGIE, relevant to residents, is available here: http://www.rugeleypower.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Event-10-QA.pdf.

To contact Staffordshire Police, message us on Facebook, Twitter, call 101 or call 999 in an emergency.