WEEDS have been left overgrown in a multi-million-pound former power plant that the council bought four years ago.
The former coal fired power station in Holes Bay, Poole has been empty wasteland since it was demolished in 1994.
Since then, the weeds and unwanted vegetation has mostly been kept at bay and not left to grow wild.
However, the land is now dense in metres high weeds – with contractors wearing face coverings recently seen doing surveys on the land.
One Echo source suggested the land is now undevelopable as the land would be classed as a biodiversity net gain site, meaning it cannot be built on as the nature there is protected.
However, a BCP Council spokesman said this is not true and that development on the largest brownfield land in the south west will go ahead at a future date.
BCP Council’s lead member for regeneration projects Mark Howell said the draft local plan, which needs to be passed by a government inspector, has allocated the former power station site for mixed-use development.
He added the site will still play a “key role” in the area’s revitalisation.
Cllr Howell said: “This is our largest brownfield site and will be developed as a new mixed-use community.
“As with any large regeneration project, the environmental requirements of the site will be considered as we work to develop the masterplan
“This project is now a priority for delivery by BCP Council and an active security, safety and management programme for the site is in place.
“Essential site maintenance will take place this autumn, once the bird nesting season is over. Other biodiversity considerations are also being reviewed.”
Back in 2020, ‘local growth funding’ allowed BCP Council to deliver infrastructure works to enable the building of a major housing site in Poole, delivering 830 new homes and employment land across 40 acres.
While the land purchase was partially funded by £5m of ‘local growth fund’ investment from the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, it’s not yet known how much it ultimately was bought for. BCP Council has been asked.
According to documents, BCP Council “intervened and acquired the site to reduce the development risks and improve viability that were the barriers to development by the private sector” that formerly owned the site.
The land was one of FuturePlaces' projects before it was wound down earlier this year.
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