Glassmill: One Battersea Bridge Road

The Battersea Society strongly objects to this proposal to build a 38-storey tower on a prominent site facing the Thames next to the Grade 2 listed Battersea Bridge and close to the Grade 2* Albert Bridge.

Height

The site is identified in the Local Plan (MB-B2-02) as suitable for buildings up to five storeys high, the height of the current Glassmill building. It is adjacent to a tall building zone (TB-B2- 04) at the lower end of the range of heights and with buildings along the stretch of river between Battersea and Albert Bridges mostly built or approved which conform to that policy. Yet it is proposed to fill the footprint of the current five-storey building with towers reaching as high as 38 storeys. In no way can this be regarded as consistent with the policies set out in either the recently approved Local Plan or the London Plan.

There is no building of similar height within two miles, and in such a prominent position it will not, as required in London Plan Policy D9, make a positive contribution to the skyline or the local townscape. Nor does it meet the requirement - set in that policy and also in the Local Plan Policy LP4 – that it should be proportionate to, and reinforce, the spatial hierarchy of the local and wider context. Rather, it would be utterly disproportionate. It would not in any way meet the requirement of Local Plan Policy LP4 that tall buildings “should be designed so as not to create an overbearing impact having regard to its context”. It would thus have a damaging effect not only on the nearby Westbridge Road and Battersea Park Conservation Areas, but on the listed buildings on the north bank of the river in Cheyne Walk.

Public Space

Although some welcome improvements to the Thames Path are proposed, there is only the most nugatory attempt – since the new building would occupy nearly all the footprint of the existing building - to create high-quality generously-sized public spaces (see Local Plan Policy LP4 B8).

Housing

On the website and the Rockwell’s leaflet ‘Battersea Buzz’ varying details are given of the 140 – 160 homes planned, 35% of which will be affordable with a split of 70/30 social rent and shared ownership. At best the proposed building would provide 39 social rent units and 17 shared ownership homes and at worst 34 social rent units and 15 shared ownership properties. We do not believe that this level of affordable housing would provide anything like sufficient benefit to overcome objections to the proposal.

It seems likely that the proposals are designed to meet the threshold for a fast track route to viability set out in London Plan Policy H5. In the event that anything like these proposals were to be approved we shall urge that a full viability assessment under the London Plan policy should be required.

Consultation Shortcomings

We can find no mention on the website or in Battersea Buzz of the actual height proposed. In the leaflet sent out giving details of the consultation much of the tower is not shown and in Battersea Buzz only the first 8 or 9 floors are shown giving the impression of a much shorter building. At the exhibition itself and on the website just one board shows the complete building. Within the feedback form there is no question about views of the design with only the possibility of writing in those views at Question 12 of 12 – ‘Do you have any further comments or questions for the project team?’

We are not naïve and have come to expect feedback forms to be designed to elicit a positive response. As a Society we are, of course, supportive of the provision of new affordable housing in Wandsworth, improvements to connectivity between the Thames Path and Battersea Bridge Road, the fostering of local entrepreneurship and believe that buildings should be sustainable – ideally built to Outstanding levels. However this consultation process appears to us to go much further in avoiding criticism than is usually the case.

In Conclusion

The sheer overwhelming size of the proposed building would far outweigh any benefits proposed and we very much trust that these proposals, if presented to Wandsworth Council, will be rejected.