Rugeley Riverside Park: former power station golf course becomes wetland; 1.5km trail to open 2026

For years, the land beside the River Trent in Rugeley had a very different purpose. It formed part of the former Rugeley Power Station site and included a golf course used by the station’s staff. According to Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the course closed in 2017, and the 64-acre site is now being transformed into a wetland landscape featuring ponds, wet grassland and meadows. The project, known as Rugeley Riverside Park, forms part of the wider redevelopment of the former coal-fired power station site. The Trust officially took ownership of the Riverside Park land from ENGIE in September 2025, with ENGIE, the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water supporting the habitat restoration work.From golf course to floodplain habitatRather than simply converting the old course into conventional parkland, the project is designed around the natural character of the River Trent and its floodplain.Work includes lowering parts of the floodplain and creating ponds and channels, helping establish a variety of wetland habitats. A separate regeneration case study for the former power station site says the work is intended to improve biodiversity while creating a green corridor and opening up a ...