BOSSES behind plans to redevelop the old Fawley power station have begun drawing up proposals to bulldoze the huge complex.

Fawley Waterside Ltd has revealed details of a three-phase project to demolish the buildings, including a 650ft chimney that towers over the entrance to Southampton Water.

Last year Fawley Waterside officially unveiled its £800 million proposals to build a glass-sided restaurant at the top of the huge stack.

But New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority want to see the chimney removed because of its massive visual impact.

The power station’s saucer-shaped control room and its huge turbine hall – used as a location for the 2015 Hollywood blockbuster Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation are also set to come down.

Speaking last month a Fawley Waterside spokesman said: “We recognise that the chimney is an important and popular landmark.

“Following our public exhibitions last September, a huge 72% of people said they wished to see the chimney retained.

“We’re therefore continuing to consider a variety of detailed designs that will include a full evaluation of the current structure.

“If the chimney is removed it will be replaced by a building of sufficient scale and height that can be seen from the Solent’s eastern and western approaches.”

Built in 1971, the power station closed in 2013 after failing to meet modern environmental standards.

Fawley Waterside is drawing up proposals to transform the 300-acre site into “one of the most beautiful small towns in England”.

The £800 million scheme includes hundreds of homes, plus a Venice-style area boasting ornate buildings and a scenic canal.

An outline planning application is likely to be submitted later this year.

Earlier this year the government rejected a bid to force Fawley Waterside to carry out a costly in-depth investigation into how the proposed demolition could affect the environment.