Tag Archives: Wandsworth

Vauxhall transformation plan photograph released

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The first image of complete plans for the transformation of Vauxhall in south London has been released.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More than 20 developments will turn brownfield land along the River Thames at Nine Elms into parks, homes, and shopping areas.

Construction work on the £8bn revamp of nearby Battersea Power Station is due to start in the middle of next year.

A spokeswoman said the power station revamp is just one of the developments in the area.

Programme director Helen Fisher, said the scheme would be centred around One Nine Elms, which she described as the tallest residential tower in western Europe.

New stations

A spokeswoman for the scheme said construction of more than 1,000 homes had already started and the St George Wharf residential tower would be completed in the next 12 to 18 months.

She said work on the new US Embassy was due to begin soon and the entire programme of works was expected to be completed in the next five to 10 years.

A public consultation into plans by Transport for London (TfL) to build new underground stations at Nine Elms and Battersea is currently under way.

The Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership was set up in 2010 to oversee the development.

The partnership includes developers and landowners in the area, the Mayor of London, TfL and the Greater London Authority, and is chaired by the leaders of Wandsworth and Lambeth councils.

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Northern Line extension plans put to public consultation

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Property to rent in Battersea could become even more attractive if Transport for London’s plans to extend the Northern Line are given the green light.

The city’s public transport body has launched the third and final public consultation on the project, which would see the London Underground network extended from Kennington to Battersea.

It is seeking views from local residents before it finalises its application for a Transport and Works Act Order in the spring of next year.

Under the plans, two new Tube stops would be created to benefit even more of London’s citizens. One would be situated at Nine Elms and the other at Battersea Power Station.

Although those living in Battersea have access to overground railway networks taking them into Waterloo and Victoria, there are currently no Tube lines serving the area.

The extension of the Northern Line into Battersea could therefore have a very positive impact on the local lettings market.

According to Transport for London, journey times into the City and the West End from this part of London would be cut to around 15 minutes as a result of the new link.

Managing director of planning Michele Dix said: “We are really keen to hear what local residents and business have to say about our proposed plans for the Northern Line extension before they are finalised.

“This new transport link could help kick-start regeneration of the area by supporting the creation of thousands of new jobs and homes.”

A number of public exhibitions are being held at venues across Wandsworth and Lambeth – the two boroughs to be affected by the plans – in the coming weeks, including one at the Gallery on the Corner on Battersea Park Road on November 29th.

The Northern Line carries around 660,000 passengers every weekday and serves 50 stations between Morden and Edgware, Mill Hill East or High Barnet.

It has two Central London branches – one via Bank and one via Charing Cross.

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Battersea power station: big visions, glum predictions

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With work on redeveloping the famous London landmark due to start next year, what does the future hold for that part of the south bank of the Thames?

It was decided back in June that the decaying Battersea power station site would be sold to a consortium of Malaysian developers following the financial collapse of the previous owners. There had been talk of Chelsea FC relocating there, but that always an unlikely result. Two months earlier, Rafael Vinoly had presented his masterplan vision for this landmark location in the video below. It’s worth a careful watch.

Encouraged? Excited? Impressed? Community campaigners seem simply depressed, especially about those four famous chimneys. In his video Vinoly spoke of the “original stacks,” but it has lately emerged that the plan is to demolish and replace them with replicas.

Critics claim there’s no need to knock them down and express doubts that the copies will ever rise – the suspicion is that the developers would sooner level the whole building, which would increase its potential for profits. They’re unhappy too about the amount of protection provided by English Heritage and sceptical that the proposed riverside walk will be all its cracked up to be.
But this is much more than a heritage row. The power station site is just part of the far wider redevelopment of Nine Elms, a huge enterprise covering 480 acres stretching from Chelsea Bridge to the Albert Embankment, which will also include the new US embassy, luxurious waterfront accommodation, a linear park, Europe’s largest residential towers and an extension of the northern line.

If the whole lot come to fruition the boast is that 25,000 new, permanent jobs will be created along with 16,000 new homes of which an anticipated 3-4,000 will meet the newly slackened definition of “affordable” – a larger percentage than the Earls Court project and some other schemes in the capital would like to get away with, but still not very large. You might be able to find work in the new Nine Elms, but don’t expect to be able to live there. That’s the way London is going.
Full article can be found here.

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Nine Elms Vauxhall development plans open day

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An opportunity to get information and raise concerns over the transformation of the Nine Elms Vauxhall area at the Nine Elms open day : Thursday the 15th and Friday the 16th of November.

 

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
See our Battersea Power Station project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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Save Kimber Road and Battersea adventure playgrounds

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Wandsworth Against the Cuts has opened an online petititon to the Government to avoid the closure of Kimber Road and Battersea Park playgrounds. As York Gardens Playground has been recently flattened by builders they believe Kimber Road could be torn down as early as this Friday and Battersea soon after.

Campaigners claim that the closure of the adventure playgrounds will deprive children and young teenagers of things to do on these areas.

Visit Wandsworth Against the Cuts website for ways to try and prevent this happening.

It seems that Malaysian owners Sime Darby´s plans for the regeneration of the Battersea Power Station does not include any playground areas among these 3.400 homes, 2 hotels and dozens of shops and restaurants.

It would be a very good idea if part of (a publicly owned) Battersea Power Station were to be designated a huge public adventure playground for the joy of all the children of the area. But it is clear Wandsworth Council does not see providing for children as important as helping to enrich property developers by sanctioning the building of DINKy (Double Income No Kids- yet) Ghettos.

Check this video out for more information about this story.

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
See our Battersea Power Station project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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Petition to save Battersea Power Station’s Chimneys!

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The new owners of Battersea Power Station – one of which are renowned illegal deforesters, Sime Darby – are determined to take down the 4 iconic chimneys on the pretext that cracks are making the concrete towers unsafe.

Once the chimneys are gone it is not unimaginable that the rest of the grade II building will also be lost as the argument is likely made that the replacement chimneys are too expensive.

Campaigners against the destruction of this iconic, British architecture have created an online petition to be given to English Heritage who have thus far, ignored the plans to ruin a listed building and an important part of British culture.

Help “save Battersea power station from rampant speculators from demolition to build 1500 luxury flats for Multi-millionaires.”

Please support the cause and sign the petition

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
See our Battersea Power Station project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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Nine Elms gasholders “consultation”

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National Grid is holding drop in sessions inviting local people to have their say on its plans to demolish four redundant gasholders in the Nine Elms on the South Bank regeneration area.

With plans to create new homes, shops, leisure facilities and public spaces, National Grid could be demolishing some of London’s most iconic sights. Ideas to convert the gasholders into museums on Britain’s history of power and electricity could preserve the interesting structures, while creating new public spaces.

Drop in sessions will be held on Wednesday 10 October and Thursday 11 October between 3pm and 8pm at The Gallery on the Corner, 155 Battersea Park Road, SW8 4BU

If you are interested in getting involved with these consultations and voicing your opinions, find out more on the Wandsworth Council website

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
See our Battersea Power Station project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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Activists fight plans to change Battersea Power Station’s iconic chimneys

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Angry activists are fighting plans to replace Battersea Power Station’s iconic chimneys.

The Grade-II listed building’s new owners plan to replace them with replicas.

Fears that corrosion could cause the existing chimneys to collapse led to the controversial decision.

Architect Keith Garner, 53, said it would cost approximately £10m to replace each chimney, four times more than to repair them.

He said: “Where is the logic in that? They’ll have destroyed the most famous part of the building – the chimneys. It’s a short step to say, the building is no longer special, de-list it and knock it down.”

The representatives of the Battersea Power Station’s developers strongly refute this £10m estimation, and claim the estimated cost to replace all four chimneys will be £11m.

Mr Garner, of the Battersea Power Station Community Group, has campaigned to preserve the art deco landmark since 1993.

“It’s an ugly, horrible scheme – a monoculture of private flats. I see nothing really for ordinary people in this part of Wandsworth at all.

“I was born in Wandsworth and have lived in Battersea since 1986. My parents met in Battersea Park, so I’m very closely attached to the area,” he added.

A Malaysian consortium of S P Setia, Sime Darby and the Employees Provident Fund bought the 39-acre south-west London site in July for £400m.

Construction will begin by mid-2013, they announced this month.

The £8bn project includes an extension to the Northern Line, restoration of the power station site and the construction of 3,400 homes.

A public six-acre park, linked to Battersea Park, is also on the cards.

The revamp is expected to take up to ten years to complete, creating 26,000 jobs.

Phase one includes plans to build 800 homes above a commercial complex featuring shops, offices and restaurants.

A disgruntled Twitter user, @SaveBatterseaPS, tweeted: “Profit, profit, profit! Where do they mention heritage, heritage, heritage?”

Wandsworth Council granted outline planning consent for the scheme in 2011.

Council Leader and co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership Ravi Govindia said: “The district-wide regeneration programme will be one of the greatest sources of new jobs and homes in the country over the next few years.

“The redevelopment of the power station site has an important role to play and is key to funding the Northern Line Extension.

“This is the most exciting development in London and will deliver a massive boost to the economy,” he added.

The power station was built in 1933 and has not generated power since for over 30 years.

A detailed application for the first phase of the project is expected next month.

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Battersea Power Station: Out of the frying pan into the fire

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The horror story continues…

Nightmare on Nine Elm Street

The abysmal Vinoly plans for Battersea Power Station that we had all hoped were finally dead and buried with the collapse of previous owners REO has come back to haunt all who care about the beautiful building and the quality of life for all those living in its shadow and the surrounding area.

Just when you thought it was safe Architect Viñoly has been hired as “creative brain” behind developer Mike Hussey’s plan for a new stadium for Chelsea football club. AAAHHHHHHGGGGG……

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
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Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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Your TV tonight: The undead Grey Men of Battersea Power Station

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On ITV’s London Tonight and LBC radio you can watch or hear Ravi Govindia, the leader of Wandsworth Council who, as former cabinet member for “strategic planning and transportation”, is particularly responsible for the failed private-property owner led regeneration of the area,  trying to defend the borough’s pathetic policy towards the obviously flawed and greedy plans for Battersea Power Station.

Only a few days ago George Osborne and Boris Johnson were doing their best to puff the disastrous scheme which is now as all but dead and buried by the creditors calling in their loans.


For the Battersea Power Station Community Group (BPSCG) it is just another “new beginning” as the fourth developer limps off stage to boos and jeers.

Keith Garner is also interviewed calling for the whole site to be put into public ownership for a sensible, viable, gradual development of the historic and beautiful building and its surrounding site. An ideal exhibition for industrial power ( see our previous blogs). Keith cites the difference in the approach of Southwark to the other Gilbert-Scott designed river front power station, the highly successful Tate Modern. Through partnerships and a gradual, planned development it shows what Battersea residents could have had these past 30 years.

WATCH: ITV London Tonight on Battersea Power Station debt

Spectacle’s crew were there today too and will be posting soon the bits of the interviews the broadcaster left out. Including an hilarious episode where the owners try to stop ITV filming by shutting the gates. Perhaps their last act.

Click Battersea Power Station for more blogs
See our Battersea Power Station project pages for more information and videos.
Or visit PlanA our general blog on urbanism, planning and architecture.

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