Battersea developer argues Thames Tideway Tunnel鈥檚 construction programme puts entire 拢8bn redevelopment of power station at risk
The construction of the 拢4.1bn Thames 鈥榮uper-sewer鈥� will endanger the restoration and redevelopment of London鈥檚 iconic Battersea Power Station and make a whole tranche of apartments planned for the site 鈥渦nsellable鈥�, the power station鈥檚 developer has claimed.
In a submission to the Planning Inspectorate - which is currently considering whether to grant the super-sewer鈥檚 developer, Thames Water, permission to build the tunnel - the developer of Battersea Power Station also said the tunnel鈥檚 construction programme would endanger the funding stream for the 拢600m Northern Line Extension.
The submission also said the plans for a major super-sewer construction site next to a significant part of the Battersea development would damage the business case for the entire 拢8bn scheme.
The Battersea Power Station developer is due to be selling a mix of serviced and standard apartments as well as letting offices and a hotel that comprise phase six of the scheme, at the same time as construction at a major super-sewer site nearby is scheduled to reach its peak.
鈥淭he Thames Tideway Tunnel works will compound an already disadvantaged area of the site to the extent that it may well serve to render the properties [in phase six of the development] unsellable or at best reduce the value of the properties thus compromising the deliverability of the power station,鈥� the submission said.
The document added that as part of the funding for the 拢600m Northern Line Extension was slated to be gathered through business rates from offices at the development, anything which compromised their value would also put the rail project in jeopardy.
鈥淭he introduction of major infrastructure works that will compromise views towards the river as well as the impact of noise, odour and traffic on the public, realm could render the offices unlettable, which compromises the deliverability of the power station and the funding of the Northern Line Extension,鈥� the submission said.
A spokesperson for Thames Tideway Tunnel said the project team was 鈥渨orking to minimise disruption to the local residents by mitigating noise at source鈥�.
The 拢400m first phase of the Battersea development comprises 866 residential units in two main blocks designed by architects Ian Simpson and de Rijke Marsh Morgan, with prices for apartments to ranging from 拢338,000 for a studio; from 拢423,000 for a one-bedroom; from 拢613,000 for a two-bedroom; and from 拢894,000 for a three-bedroom apartment.
The first phase, masterplanned by Rafael Vi帽oly, is being built by Carillion.
Objections to the Thames Tideway Tunnel plans
From submissions to the Planning Inspectorate
St Paul鈥檚 Church
A submission by the office of Father Paul Butler, rector of St Paul鈥檚, said plans to carry out construction work on Saturdays and maintenance work on Sundays would disrupt weddings and Sunday mass.
It said: 鈥淢aintenance work is often noisy and disruptive even if it does not generate the same levels of noise as construction work. Moments of stillness and solemnity in the [Sunday] Mass should not be ruined by external clatter.鈥�
It added that the church generated 鈥渟ignificant revenue鈥� from weddings on a Saturday and it anticipated there would be 鈥渘o bookings鈥� as work would 鈥済enerate unwelcome noise at what for the couple and their guests is a day of huge importance in their lives鈥�.
City of London
The City of London鈥檚 submission stated that it would not permit any designated areas for lorries to park within the City.
鈥淣o Lorry holding areas will be permitted in the Square Mile of the City of London as our road network will not support them,鈥� the submission said.
It went on to say any reference to lorry holding areas in the Square Mile should be removed from tender documents given to contractors.
Thamesbank
Local campaign group Thamesbank demanded that a written agreement be reached with Thames Water that spoil and construction materials be transported by barge rather than by road.
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