Battersea Forum Q&A Available to Watch

On Wednesday 31s March the DRCA Community Centre hosted the presentation of REO / Treasury Holdings‘ planning application for Battersea Power Station.

As part of our ongoing Battersea Power Station project, we have edited together the charged question and answer session between the planning director, Jeremy Castle, and members of the local community which you can watch on our Battersea Power Station archive. Topics raised included affordable housing, schools, parking, fencing and the iconic chimneys.

The current plan, which you can read more about at our Battersea Power Station blog, includes the construction of 3,700 luxury flats, a riverside park, a hotel, and a new tube station surrounding the Grade II* listed Power Station which could itself become a retail centre. Wandsworth Council are set to make a decision in July.

Free No Pain Gain Guide to Gain Download: A Community Guide to Planning Obligations

Planning applications are often a very private collusion between local councils and private developers and it is difficult for local residents to involve themselves in, let alone influence, the decision-making process. With plans to redevelop Battersea Power Station at a delicate stage and three months left to make objections to the current plan (see REO’s current application here), we have uploaded a pdf copy of the ‘No Pain Guide to Gain’ booklet. Produced by the Ethical Property Foundation, the pamphlet details how residents can make full use of the ‘Section 106 agreement’, which is a legal agreement obligating the developer in question to provide beneficial services and schemes for the local community.

This article from the Battersea Power Station Community Group website in 2006 demonstrates REO / Treasure Holding’s attitudes towards section 106 and community participation.

WPCT Consultation Thursday 29th April

Battersea Power Station

Primary Care Trust Consultation

at

DRCA Community Centre

Behind TESCO Metro in Battersea Park Road

Charlotte Despard Avenue SW11 5HD

Thursday 29th April 2010 – 12 noon to 2.00pm

There will be 3,700, luxury flats, riverside park, hotel, tube station surrounding the Grade II* listed Power Station which will become a retail centre.

Real Estates Opportunities Socio Economic Survey shows there will be “negligible” impact on health provision in Wandsworth from the redevelopment (also “negligible” impact on education and open space)

Tell Us What You Want So See Provided on the Power Station site

Wandsworth Primary Care Trust/ National Health Service

elaine.curley@wpct.nhs.uk

WRUG – Wandsworth Rights Umbrella Group

Hosted by DRCA – Doddington & Rollo Community Association

You can also download a pdf of the ‘No Pain Guide to Gain’ booklet which gives information on how to become actively involved in planning developments here at Spectacle’s planning and commissions blog.

Planned Red Bull X Fighters event at Battersea Power Station is illegal

Steven Goldsmith of the Wandsworth Green Party and Battersea Power Station Community Group has formally submitted an objection about the Red Bull X Fighters Event (Application No 2010/0925) to Wandsworth Council on the grounds that it is illegal. The event, a petrolhead’s dream of the best FMX riders in the world and unlikely to be frugal in parading its use of energy resources (see Red Bull’s official artist’s impression below and an article about the event here) , is scheduled to take place in and around the station for the second successive year but its noise and light pollution breaches legislation that that was passed to safeguard the protected species of black redstarts and peregrine falcons which have now colonised the station. The objection has since interestingly been placed as a ‘support comment’ on Wandsworth Council’s planning applications site. This is another example of money spinning private hire of the station following David Cameron’s mainfesto launch here last week (which you can read more about here at Spectacle’s Battersea Power Station blog), and a further contradiction to assertions by owners REO that the chimneys could be unsafe and may need to be pulled down.

Restoration of Ellis Island an example for Battersea Power Station Owners

The rejuvenation of Ellis Island provides a concrete and successful testament to the possibility of community led re-development for Battersea Power Station, and evidence that existing derelict structures need not be pulled down in their entirety to proceed with restoration.

12 million immigrants were processed at Ellis Island by the U.S. Bureau of Immigration between 1892 and 1954, but the island since fell into disrepair. Although attempts at restoring the site were initially unsuccessful, the island was proclaimed a part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, and its listed status led to proposals to refurbish the buildings and adapt them into a museum. Run by the National Park Service, the museum hosts exhibitions, houses additional community film theatres and also a library thanks mainly to the fundraising of the not-for-profit organisation Save Ellis Island.

Battersea Power Station Community Group have been championing similar ideas of a public heritage and programme space in and around the old pumping station for years that could serve the local area without the necessity of tearing down the chimneys, which seems to be the desire of the current developers REO despite public declarations to the contrary. Click here to read more about the latest developments at Battersea Power Station, its significance and Spectacle’s Battersea project.

Cameron Braves ‘Dangerous’ Battersea Power Station for Manifesto Launch

David Cameron’s decision to invite little old you and me to run the country at the big boys’ table at Battersea Power Station was no accident, because you see, he wants to FIRE UP the nation. Y’know, like the station. Because it’s stopped working. FIRE UP the power because the country is derelict and…ok he wants to REGENERATE the station, no wait, I got that wrong, regenerate the NATION, because England is like a dilapidated…oh I don’t know why I bother.

Anyway, if he was going to recklessly bounce loaded metaphors around the inside of the power station he should have been wearing a hard hat – that structure is dangerously unsafe according to REO. At least that’s what was told to Battersea Power Station Community Group, unless they were to have the required clout which presumably comes with a ‘no topple’ guarantee.

The key point of all this is that Cameron’s ability to bypass this regulation demonstrates that REO’s persistent claims that the chimneys must be pulled down due to their perceived danger is most definitely a falsehood, and it highlights the superficiality of their concerns over safety at the station which very clearly are being raised as an excuse for their desired re-development. Once the chimneys are down they will never be put back. You can read more about it here in Spectacle’s Battersea Power Station blog.

Battersea Power Station: presentation of new plans by REO 31st March.

Battersea Power Station
Presentation of the new plans by Real Estates Opportunities

at

DRCA Community Centre
Behind TESCO Metro in Battersea Park Road
Charlotte Despard Avenue SW11 5HD

Wednesday 31st March 2010 – 12 noon to 2.00pm

Jeremy Castle, Planning Director, will talk about the planning application that Wandsworth Council will decide upon in July.

3,700, luxury flats, riverside park, hotel, tube station surrounding the Grade II* listed Power Station which will become a retail centre.

This item will be early on the agenda and be a fairly brief introduction to the scheme.

Also

The Nine Elms Opportunity Area is creating a feeding frenzy of speculative buildings being planned – The US Embassy, 30 storey flats at the gas works, 50 storey flats on Covent Garden Market, 60 storey block at St George’s Vauxhall. What do local people want?

Whose Opportunity?

Battersea Community Forum hosted by Doddington and Rollo Community Association
RSVP for light refreshments.
Wandsworth Rights Umbrella Group and Battersea Power Station Community Group.

bulletin@batterseapowerstation.org.uk

For more information, visit our Battersea Power Station project page

Victorian Pumping Station video tour

www.flickr.com

The Battersea Power Station Community Group were  given a short tour of the Victorian Pumping Station – soon to be demolished if REO receive planning permission for Rafael Viñoly’s Masterplan. There have been strong objections including The Victorian Society and Save Britains Heritage.

To view a short edit of the tour follow the link below.

Battersea Power Station, Pumping Station Archive

‘Play Boy’ Owner Spending Spree Scandal

An article in the Evening Standard today reveals the huge spending sprees of one of the ‘play boy’ owners of the Power Station, while the building itself is lacking funding to keep it standing.  Article features interview with Battersea Power Station Community Group member Brian Barnes.

Residents Object to Planning Applications

Many residents of Chelsea Bridge Wharf Apartments have strongly objected to the new plans for Battersea Power Station.

Over twenty objection letters were sent from residents in relation to the applications. The most common complaints included:

  • Loss of view from the flats
  • Decrease of light in to accommodation
  • Very little privacy
  • Increase of noise and dust for the residents

These complaints from residents are amongst many objections to the new plans for Battersea Power Station, highlighting the public outcry at these proposals.

To read about the Planning Applications or to read the Objection Comments click here.

Find out more about Spectacle’s Battersea Power Station Project

For interviews and more visit Spectacle’s Archive