After dominating the landscape of the English East Midlands for nearly 60 years, the UK's last coal-fired power plant is to close at the end of the month, with locals sad to see it go. "It's a shame really," says Peter Haywood, a local who saw the Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant being built, "it's like part of the family". The closure comes after the new Labour government launched its flagship green energy plan, which aims to reach clean power by 2030. "Moving towards renewables...is the way to achieve energy independence," explains energy specialist Jess Ralston. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES