Fiddler’s Ferry demolition date announced
Civil engineering and groundworks specialist P.P. O’Connor will raze the power station’s four northern cooling towers, coal stockyard, and ex-administration buildings on Sunday 3 December.
Situated near the River Mersey in between Warrington and Halton, Fiddler’s Ferry is made up of the power station and its eight cooling towers. Peel L&P subsidiary Peel NRE acquired the 820-acre brownfield site in July 2022 and is working on a 10- to 15-year masterplan for the area.
At Fiddler’s Ferry, the power station will be dismantled and destroyed in phases. This first phase will zero in on the site’s four northern cooling towers, coal stockyard, and a few ex-administrative buildings to pave the way for a 1.4m sq ft industrial scheme.
The entire demolition process is anticipated to complete in 2025 or 2026, with later phases of the project to include a new neighbourhood to the east of the former power station. This neighbourhood could feature family homes, a new primary school, shops, and a GP surgery.
Peel appointed P.P O’Connor to demolish the Cuerdley towers in June, citing the firm’s experience in complex demolitions. The Trafford Park-based demolition expert has previously led the demolition of INEOS in Runcorn, Stanlow Refinery in Ellesmere Port, and LyondellBasell in Carrington.
Daniel Mackinlay, demolition manager at P.P. O’Connor, said: “With the planned blow-down at this site, we have ensured we have maintained regular communication across the community to allow them to air any questions or viewpoints in advance.
“Our plan is to reduce any impact on the local community and maintain ongoing dialogue throughout the process.”
The approved plans for the demolition were submitted to Warrington Council last September following the dismantling of the power station in March 2020. The decision to dismantle Fiddler’s Ferry was made in line with government policy to phase out coal-fired facilities by 2025.
Peel’s plans for the future of the site pull from the 2021 Warrington Local Plan. Within that document, Fiddler’s Ferry is allocated for around 250 acres of employment use and 860 homes.
