A statement following the announcement by Engie that Rugeley Power Station is expected to cease operations this summer.
Amanda Milling, Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase, stated:
Rugeley’s power stations have been a defining landmark in the town and surrounding area since the 1950s. They were there long before I was born and I know from growing up locally they have always dominated the skyline of much of South Staffordshire. It is also significant because Rugeley B power station has been our last connection to our historic mining heritage, with much of the locally mined coal going to the site.
Today’s announcement by Engie is really disappointing and a major blow to the Rugeley community and, most particularly, the 150 people that work at Rugeley B. My top and immediate priority is to provide support for the Power Station’s employees and their families, ensuring these workers get all the support and assistance that they need at this very difficult time.
The future of the site is unknown at this point but I hope that we can create new jobs with major industry in our town.
I have held urgent talks today with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd MP and have called on the government to:
- Provide a package of support to re-train staff and assist them in finding new jobs.
- Provide financial support to decontaminate the site on closure so that it can be redeveloped as quickly as possible.
- Explore the feasibility of a replacement gas power station going on the site.
- Provide financial support, such as designation as an Enterprise Zone, to support the redevelopment of the site to attract new industries and businesses to Rugeley in order to create new jobs.
I have asked to visit the Power Station later this week to meet with employees and management and also asked to be kept updated during the course of the consultation. I hope we can all come together to support the workers and families affected by this announcement and show everyone how strong the Rugeley community is.
I welcome the statement from David Alcock, CEO of ENGIE’s Energy Infrastructure division in the UK, saying that their priority now is to support the employees and help them through this period. It is pleasing to know that they will help those directly affected by this announcement.