IT could cost millions of pounds preparing the ground before Poole’s largest redevelopment site can be built on.

And while the council is confident the 32-acre former power station at Hamworthy will see homes on it, concern has been raised that 150,000 tons of concrete foundations may make it too costly to develop.

The 32-acre former power station site at Hamworthy is capped with a massive concrete slab, which supported the turbine and boiler houses and chimneys, 500ft by 248ft, or three acres in area.

Originally the proposal was to build on top of the concrete.

However, stricter environmental controls in force since the site was bought in 2001, mean this will probably have to be removed before any development can take place.

Plans by Gallagher and Lands Improvement Holdings Ltd to develop the site with up to 1,350 homes, new public quay and a food store have been developed over 10 years of public engagement and are yet to go before a planning committee.

Former Poole mayor and Hamworthy resident Fred Winwood, who worked at the power station, which operated from 1950 to 1984, believes the cost of removing the concrete and filling in a water discharge pipe to Poole Harbour, will prove too expensive.

“It’s not just digging it out. It’s what are you going to fill it back up with?” he said.

“It’s a great opportunity to dig it all up and create a marina.

“As far as building houses on there it’s absolutely condemned it.”

The land owners declined to comment.

‘Phenomenal’ costs are a concern

STEPHEN Thorne, Borough of Poole’s head of planning and regeneration, said: “There’s 40ft of concrete, we know that. There’s an old water intake pipe going under Blandford Road to the park and that has to be dealt with.

“The costs of the Gallaghers site at the moment are so phenomenal the market hasn’t come back sufficiently for them to gamble.”

As it stood the site would not support affordable housing, he added.

He said the council was doing everything it could to work with the owners and make it as easy as possible for the land to be developed.

“To facilitate this site this council invested in a £40million bridge,” he said. “The second crossing was an absolute requirement for this site to come forward. “I’m confident there will be a development there at some stage.”