Stourport power station

During the First World War the two major undertakings in the Midlands, the Shropshire Company and the Birmingham Corporation, proposed to build two large power stations to meet their joint needs. These would be the 30 MW Nechells power stations and the 45 MW Stourport power station. However, the proposal failed on the question of financing.^[4] The Shropshire Company eventually built Stourport power station which was commissioned in 1927. This enabled the smaller, less efficient, stations at Dudley, Kidderminster and Redditch to be closed.^[2]

Developments in the 1930s

The Shropshire Company became part of the Edmundsons Electricity Corporation Limited which by 1931 was itself part of the Greater London and Counties Trust.^[4]

The Shropshire Company continued to purchase, or obtain a controlling interest in, further electricity undertakings and closed the power stations as a bulk supply was available from its network. These included the smaller power stations at:^[2]

• Blockley power station, Blockley Electric Lighting and Manufacturing Company, built 1888, purchased 1931, closed ‘soon after’
• Church Stretton power station, Church Stretton Electric Supply Company Limited, built 1904, purchased 1929, closed ‘soon after’
• Fladbury power station, Fladbury Electric Light and Power Company Limited, built 1900, purchased 1925, closed 1925
• Ledbury power station, Ledbury Electric Supply Company Limited, built 1913, purchased 1930, closed 1930
• Ludlow power station, Ludlow Electric Light Company Limited, built 1906, purchased 1927, closed 1929
• Ross-on-Wye power station, Ross Electric Light and Power Company Limited, built 1902, purchased 1930s
• Tewkesbury power station, Tewkesbury Electric Light Company Limited, built 1909, purchased 1930s

In addition to the above towns the company supplied electricity to Bewdley, Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Evesham, Halesowen and Oldbury.^[5]

In 1937 the Company purchased a majority shareholding in the South Wales Electric Power Company.^[6]

Nationalisation

The Shropshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire Electric Power Company was abolished on 31 March 1948 under the terms of the Electricity Act 1947 which nationalised the British electricity supply industry.^[7] The company's power stations and electricity transmission systems were vested in the British Electricity Authority.^[8] The local distribution systems and the electricity sales functions were vested in the Midlands Electricity Board (MEB).

Key people

The chairmen of the company included:

• William Leonard Madgen 1921
• Emile Garcke 1923–30
• F. Massingberd Rogers 1930–33
• Sir Holberry Mensforth 1933–36
• Brigadier-General Wade H. Hayes 1936
• Sir Thomas Royden 1936–43

The directors of the company in 1921 were:^[1]

• William Leonard Madgen (chairman and managing director)
• Clarence Shirreff Hilton
• Emile Garcke
• James Albert Lycett
• Brenchley Barrett Kingsford

The registered office was at 88 Kingsway, London.