Green light for new power station

The old towers were demolished at night in September 2006

Plans to build a large gas-fired power station on the Derbyshire-Staffordshire border have been approved.

The facility - capable of producing enough power for one million homes - is being built on the site of the former coal-powered station at Drakelow.

The power station will use state-of-the-art technology to reduce the carbon emissions it produces.

It received government approval on Tuesday. The site could be up and running by early 2011.

The old cooling towers at Drakelow power station were demolished in a controlled explosion in September 2006.

Bob Taylor from E.ON UK said the new station would bring new jobs and investment to the area.

The plans had to be sent to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for official approval because of the size of the development.