Four cooling towers at a former power station in Staffordshire have been demolished in a controlled explosion.

The 117m (384ft) concrete towers, which have dominated Rugeley’s skyline for decades, were destroyed with explosives around 11.15am on Sunday.

French energy firm and the power station’s former operator, Engie, is planning to redevelop the site for housing and employment space.

Outline planning permission was granted in April this year for 2,300 new “low carbon” homes and a school.

The wider development will include more than 12 acres of employment space, a new neighbourhood centre and a country park near the River Trent, Engie said.

Construction of the coal-fired Rugeley ‘B’ Power Station began in 1965, with the facility completed in 1972. It ceased all operations on June 8 2016.

Energy minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “We are committed to building back greener from the pandemic and Engie’s low carbon regeneration project is a great initiative demonstrating how industrial sites can be revitalised to provide sustainable living.

“This innovative redevelopment will help breathe new life into the local community, providing new jobs, thousands of low carbon homes and a new school, while supporting our ambitious climate commitments.”