Proximity to the river and Westminster, good transport links, and the likely availability of land, have encouraged developers to plan and in some cases embark upon a number of ambitious developments in our area. I start with news of the high profile developments around Vauxhall Cross and Nine Elms Lane before turning to other developments.
Former Mayor Ken Livingstone was personally strongly associated with the Greater London Authority's London Plan which designates Vauxhall as an "Opportunity Area" - that is a place "with potential for significant increase in density". In other words, high rise buildings were to be encouraged. The first Vauxhall Cross development was St George Wharf, the very large apartment, hotel and office development by the Berkeley Homes/St George Group on the Effra Site by Vauxhall Cross and just upstream of Vauxhall Bridge. But five large towers are in pipeline - between 130 and 180 metres high. This photo of a model used in the Bondway Tower planning appeal gives an impression of the likely view from the north. Information about individual developments then follows.
|
|
The same developer is now to build a 50 floor, 180 metre tower at the upstream end of the Effra site. (For comparison, Canada Tower at Canary Wharf is 237m high.) Above is an artist's impression of the view from Westminster Bridge. Lambeth Council refused to give planning permission, as did the planning inspector following a public inquiry. But Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott overruled them both and the tower is now pretty certain to be built. |
Encouraged by Mr Prescott's decision, another set of developers set about planning a £350m development on the currently empty triangular site surrounded by billboards alongside the bus station at Vauxhall Cross. There was then very little activity until a new developer, Kylun Ltd, acquired the site in early 2010 with a view to resurrecting the previous scheme, but with some modifications. It would still be two towers (one tall - approx 48 storeys and one shorter - about 23 storeys) and offer a mix of uses including residential, hotel, office, retail, health centre, creche etc. The artist's impression, above, shows the originally proposed two towers to the left of the proposed St George Tower. It will apparently be necessary for the developers to build high if they are to recoup the cost of the land - the billboards are said to generate an income of £1m pa.
|
|
Another tall tower - 130m high - is to be built near Sainsbury's on the corner of Wandsworth Road and Wyvil Road. Planning permission was granted in 2009. An artist's impression is opposite. |
Developers would also like to build another another very tall tower on the site of Bondway commercial centre, near the bus station and immediately north-west of the railway line. They originally wanted the building to be 175m high but, following residents' objections, they have scaled back their ambitions to a mere 149m and 42 storeys. They are offering to spend £5m improving the nearby area, including £1.4m on public art. Faced with vociferous opposition from certain local residents, Lambeth Councillors refused planning permission at a meeting just before the 2010 local council elections, so a full planning inquiry began in July 2010.
|
|
Ancient laws require fresh produce to be sold in four separate London markets. Fish must be sold in Billingsgate Market - originally on Lower Thames St in the City but now in Docklands. Meat must be sold in Smithfield Market - still on its original site. And fruit and veg must be sold in Spitalfields - originally near Liverpool St Station but now in New Spitalfields in Leyton, North-east London - or in Covent Garden Market - originally north of the Strand but now in New Covent Garden in Vauxhall. The new Covent Garden Market went into severe decline as supermarkets etc. began to bypass it, but has since diversified. A DEFRA report in November 2002 said that the four markets would not survive unless they became mixed markets and "one stop shops". The report recommended that central London should be served from New Covent Garden, but the Corporation of London (who own the other three markets) strongly disagreed and backed the New Spitalfields Market. But the Government decided to accept the recommendations of the 2002 report, thus beginning a legal battle with the Corporation which the Government won in June 2006. So the future of the New Covent Garden Market was secured. There then followed four inter-related announcements in the autumn of 2009:- First, Wandsworth Council announced that it had given outline planning permission for the US Embassy to move to Nine Elms following its relocation from Grosvenor Square. Permission was subject to the creation of a new park, improvements to the riverside walk, and a new pedestrian and cycle path linking Wandsworth Road and Nine Elms Lane, so improving cycle access from Kennington to Battersea Park. An artist's impression of the new building, which will straddle what is now Ponton Road, is on the left. The other modern buildings are shown in this picture on the assumption that the other developments, summarised below, are proceeded with. |
|
|
Second, Mayor Boris Johnson announced big plans for the area when he published a draft strategy in conjunction with Wandsworth and Lambeth councils. The document envisaged the building of 16,000 new homes by 2026 as well as offices and business units, creating 20,000 to 25,000 jobs. The document states: "The opportunity area is the largest remaining development opportunity within the central activities zone and is vitally important" and notes that the area has never attracted massive investment because it is divided by busy roads and overground train lines into Victoria. "Redevelopment of the area provides a unique opportunity to overcome these historic industrial barriers." The strategy document for the Vauxhall/Nine Elms/Battersea "opportunity area" covers a 195-hectare site that includes Battersea Power Station, the New Covent Garden Market and the proposed new American Embassy. But the document makes it clear that there is no chance of progress unless there is massive investment in transport links - with little or no money likely to come from public funds. The Mayor's key wish, therefore, is for a privately funded extension to the Northern line from Kennington via Nine Elms to Battersea Power Station, which is the subject of private redevelopment plans - see further below. But he would also like to see a new "wobbly bridge" linking Nine Elms with Pimlico (see artists impression - left) as well as many more buses along Nine Elms Lane and extra capacity at Battersea Park train station. The plans also include:
|
Third, the New Covent Garden Market Authority announced plans to create a new trading space and flower market and redevelop the rest of their site, building three office blocks up to 46 storeys high plus smaller blocks incorporating 1800 new homes together with restaurants, cafes and a hotel.
|
|
The fourth announcement was by Dublin-based company, Treasury Holdings, who now own the Battersea Power Station, probably the largest city-centre brownfield site in Europe. They acquired the site from Parkview International, together with its associated outline planning permission, in November 2006. The company's first public move was to lodge an application in October 2009 for planning permission to turn the site into a £5.5 billion residential complex. The proposals would see 3,700 homes built alongside offices, shops and restaurants on the 40-acre site. The scheme (see artist's impression - left) also includes a riverside park and an extension to the Riverside Walk connecting through to Battersea Park. Public access would be given to restored areas, such as the two turbine halls and control rooms. In return, the developers have pledged to save the power station itself, which is listed Grade II*, and create a "low-carbon environment". The developers said that they had been encouraged that there has been progress in the planning of an extension of the Northern line from Kennington to two new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea Power Station - see further above. |
Parts of parks and open land near the river may be compulsorily purchased to provide access for the construction and maintenance of the proposed Thames Tunnel which is being designed to capture flows from the 34 most polluting combined sewer overflows that currently discharge untreated sewage to the River Thames. As little as 2mm of rainfall can trigger a discharge. The proposed 20-mile Thames Tunnel will be the width of three London buses and will run up to 32 kilometres (20 miles) from west to east London, and up to 75 metres beneath the River Thames, broadly beneath the bed of the river. Thames Water are currently consulting with the relevant authorities about the optimum route of the tunnel and the process for selecting works sites, but have already carried out exploratory drilling in Vauxhall Park. A public consulation on our preferred route and construction sites will start this summer.
Planning permission was granted in August 2007 for the development of a 144m residential tower block, a 25 metre 8 lane pool, fitness centre, dance studio etc, and 900 sq m of office and retail space, to be built between Upper Ground and Doon Street opposite the National Theatre. Building was delayed by legal challenges but the Court of Appeal has now given the final go-ahead, and construction should begin in 2011.
Mayor Ken Livingstone has published a development framework which sets out a new vision for the area around Waterloo Station, including the arch-covered roads underneath the railway tracks. His aim is "To give Waterloo a new 'Town Square' that also serves as a public transport interchange space; to improve permeability to and within the area and provide new development principally in the area around and above Waterloo Station." Objectives include redeveloping and redefining Waterloo Station so that it becomes a new centre for the area; removing general traffic from Waterloo Road and giving priority to pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. Further details are at the Greater London Authority website.
|
|
Southwark Council have approved a major regeneration project around the Elephant. The aim is to create a traffic-free, 24 hour town centre that will include a mix of both social and private housing, shops, leisure opportunities etc. around a network of streets, lanes and spaces which will mean easy and safe access for pedestrians and shoppers. It is also planned to create a new civic square west of the railway; to develop social, leisure, cultural and educational facilities at the top of the Walworth Road and to refurbish St. Mary's Churchyard to provide more leisure opportunities and green space. The civic square will include world-class landmark buildings, a new north/south bus route and a new link to the town centre east of the railway line. The top of the Walworth Road will be developed to provide a new library, a leisure and healthy eating centre, a museum and a training and resource centre. Pedestrian and public transport routes will link the area to the town and civic centres. The development will include four large towers, for which planning permission has already been give. The first, left, is to be built by Multiplex, the people who are building the new Wembley Stadium, in joint venture with Espalier. It will be a 147 metre, 42 storey residential tower on the Castle House site at the top of Walworth Road with 30 per cent affordable housing. The scheme will integrate wind turbines to bring energy costs down by 40 per cent for each of the 408 apartments. |
|
|
Oakmayne Properties will develop the other three towers (left) which will incorporate a 214 room hotel, five screen arts cinema, 219 homes, restaurants, and shops, spilling out on to the market square. The scheme will offer new retail space for existing businesses trading at the Elephant. A greatly improved public transport system that allows easier access to the town centre and quicker connections to central and south London is key to the plans. It will involve improving entrances to the Bakerloo and Northern lines, a new bus only link through the new town centre, new bus stops, and better access to Thameslink platforms, and removal of the subway. These changes will also allow better access to and from the town centre to key local destinations such as the Walworth Road, South Bank University and St. Mary's Churchyard. They will also provide better connections between the Elephant and Castle, Waterloo Bridge and the West End. The Elephant and Castle roundabouts will be removed and traffic will be re-routed via Heygate Street which will ease congestion in the town centre. New cycle routes leading into the town centre will also be created. The London Park Hotel and the Fusion Leisure Centre are to be demolished and around 700 homes built in the area, including on St Mary's Churchyard. The project is being overseen by a consortium led by Sydney-based Lend Lease with local partners Oakmayne and First Base. They were appointed in July 2007 when it was estimated that the project would cost £1.5bn and take 10 years. |
A developer has applied for permission to replace the petrol station with a 32 story office/retail development.
Modelling itself on the Coin Street Community Trust, the Riverside Community Development Trust is mounting an ambitious programme to attract investment to the area bounded by Lambeth Road, Kennington Road, Kennington Lane and the River Thames. The trust in particular aims to:
A group of developers ("The Vauxhall Alliance") had their eyes on Spring Gardens - the large area of Council-owned open land just north east of Vauxhall Cross - and came up with a number of proposals for building on the land in return (they said) for making the whole area more attractive, releasing land nearby and so on. One project "Project Vauxhall" involved redeveloping the Ethelred and China Walk Estates. Local residents were opposed to this and all similar proposals, and Lambeth Council's latest plan says that:
The Northern Line is undergoing a three-stage change/improvement programme. The first stage has already improved reliability by sharply reducing the number of through Charing Cross Branch trains from Morden via the Oval. The second stage consists of the introduction of 'moving-block' signalling. This will increase capacity from Morden to Kennington from 28 to 32 trains per hour, 'via Bank' from 22 to 24 per hour, and 'via Charing Cross' from 20 to 24 trains per hour. The work, which requires numerous line closures, should be completed by 2012.
The third stage - currently being consulted on - will eliminate all Morden>Charing Cross trains. This will not increase the number of trains via Oval but will allow a further increase in 'via Bank' capacity to 32 per hour and 'via Charing Cross' capacity' to 28 trains per hour. It will also free up the Charing Cross branch for the possible extension through Nine Elms to Battersea (see above for more detail on the likely development of these areas).
Plans are taking shape for improved sports facilities in Kennington Park, including a 25 metre, 5 lane swimming pool, a tennis bubble and a fitness centre. The next stage is public consultation and a planning application.
|
|
The proposed Cross River Tram line, once planned for 2011, will not now be built. |
