The former Gas Works site on Swandon Way, a building on Armoury Way, a pub extension in Northcote Road and the Glassmill site next to Battersea Bridge were topics of discussion last week during an advisory committee with Councillors and members of Societies and Community groups.
Last week’s meeting of the Wandsworth Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee (often abbreviated as WHAC) considered a number of applications that have direct impact on our area. It includes the former Gas Works site on Swandon Way, a building on Armoury Way, and the Glassmill site next to Battersea Bridge.
Roof extension on the Northcote Pub
The committee considered an application (planning application number 2024/3041) to build a roof extension above the Northcote Pub, at the corner of Northcote Road and Battersea Rise. It includes the installation of a retractable roof, as well as a two-storey extension to the rear of the building to house a new staircase. The corner door will be reopen as the main access to the pub. The roof extension will be used as a new area servery dining and drinking with capacity for up to 103 people. They agreed that the principle of adding an additional storey to this very prominent building was acceptable. Andrew Catto from the Putney Society said:
“I think, if anything, it enhances the building to be a story higher. It’s good for the corner. If you look at the other side of Battersea Rise the building opposite are three storeys plus prominent gables. It’s beneficial in that sense.”
However, the Committee raised concerns about the proposed materials to be used in the roof extension, especially the copper-coloured metal cladding, which many felt was not in keeping with the building’s surroundings. However officers said they had difficulties to get confirmation on the colour that will be applied.
There were also concerns about the impact of the proposed internal alterations on the building’s appearance, with several members thinking that the plans to build a staircase in front of the large windows on the Battersea Rise side of the building were not appropriate. They also thought that the alignment of the windows in the upper storey looked awkward and that it should be aligned with the existing windows on the floor below.
Despite those comments, the committee was largely supportive of the scheme.
Giant proposal for the former Gasworks Swandon Way
The committee considered a resubmitted application (p.a. 2022/3954) to redevelop the former gasholders site on Swandon Way. The application is a hybrid application, with some parts of the site having detailed designs, and other parts being submitted in outline.
The application originally came to the Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee in March 2023, and there is now a certain number of revisions. The main changes consist of a very small reduction in height of some of the buildings, with the tallest building being reduced from 30 storeys to 29 storeys and the three buildings arranged in a semi-circle around the edge of the site of the former gasholder brought down by a mix of one to three storeys, but the podium level has raised up by a single storey.
Affordable housing is now at 40% (up from 35%) which 70% will be social rent.
- Read our previous article: Another dense development with a 30-storey tower proposed in Wandsworth town
Members expressed concern that the lack of comprehensive land ownership was detrimental to the quality of development on the site, and urged the council to investigate whether it had the power to intervene to improve the situation. Barry Sellers, the case officer, explained:
“There’s quite a number of different ownerships. To the north of where the old gas holder was, you’ve got the Delta site, which is quite a substantial site. They haven’t acquired that one. To the south east, you’ve got the Mr Clutch site, which is a very awkward shaped site [see on the Armoury Way application]. There’s also a head house which remains outside both applications, which has been put in some time ago because that’s all to do with the underground pipe work. So, there’s a lot of issues about ownership.”
Mr Catto also noticed that the tallest building remains without vehicle access. “For a bigger building than the Grenfell tower, there is no fire brigade access. There is no delivery access, no parking even for a van or taxi“, he commented. He added that the entire plot needs to be redesigned, removing this part entirely. The explanation of the truck manoeuvres for the refuse collection was so circumvoluted that we encourage you to see by yourself on the video.
The committee remained opposed to the development. Peter Farrow from the Wandsworth Society said:
“They don’t anywhere near come close to addressing the concerns that the Wandsworth Society had about the development. It is, in essence, in terms of its height, albeit it might be slightly lower, but the bulk of the building, its appearance and of the other buildings are so similar to what was previously seen.
2 Armoury Way
This application (p.a. 2024/3497) proposed the development of two buildings up to 10-storeys high on the south of the Gas Works site, with one block being for student accommodation, and the other having light industrial use on the ground and first floors. Subject to what come forward for the adjacent Gasworks site, which might be massively predominant, the views of the building from Swandon Way will be mostly obscured.
Here again, concerns were expressed regarding land ownership. The officer presented the case commented:
“You’ve got an awkward landlocking which does restrict them somewhat in their site. So this is an awkward triangle that isn’t owned by two Armory Way applicants. Not much you can do about it.”
Members noted that the site is highly constrained, bordered by the River Wandle, the railway line, and buildings and developments on the former Gas Works site. They expressed concern that the site’s awkward shape would result in poor-quality development.
Michael Jubb, representing the Battersea Society and chairing the committee, urged the Council “to look at the issues related to the site’s configuration and the possibility of taking a more active role in land assembly.“
“These are massive blocks,” said Roger Armstrong from the Clapham Society. Mr. Catto commented that this application must be considered within the context of the revised roadway and current Gas Works site proposal (see above). He added that “sadly,” ten stories is “probably not too bad” compared to what is proposed in the background. However, he highlighted the “missed opportunity to enhance the heritage that sits on the other side of the Wandsworth one-way system.”
The site’s accessibility and congested transport links will pose major challenges for the students for whom the development is intended. Peter Farrow noted that, combined with the existing B&Q and Homebase sites nearby, this would compound existing problems.
The chair pointed out that the proposal, in many respect, in not in accordance with the planning documents for the Wandle Delta area. The committee concluded that the application was unacceptable.
The Glassmill / One Battersea Bridge Road
Finally, the committee considered a revised application to redevelop the Glassmill site next to Battersea Bridge (p.a. 2024/1322). While the applicants advertised that the new scheme reduced the tower’s height from 33 to 28 storeys, planning officers disputed this claim, stating:
“I calculated it this morning. If you’re considering it against the floor to ceiling heights that are within our local plan, it would be considered as a 34 storey building in terms of height [according to standard practice labelled as AOD, note from the editor] to the tallest element of the building. “
Nevertheless, members of the WHAC noted that the floor to ceiling heights in the new scheme were much greater than those set out in the council’s planning policies. The site, located outside the Tall Building zone, should comply with the ‘mid-rise’ category, defined as a maximum of 6 storeys or 18m (whichever is lower).
- Read our previous article: Are developers bypassing the Council to seek approval from the Mayor of London?
Michael Jubb described the changes as “negligible” and argued that the context was being ignored: the site is too small, too prominent, and there is no justification for maximizing its potential in this way. He offered a relatable analogy:
“The applicants claim that the core reason to go ahead with this application is that it optimises the capacity and the potential of a very small site. You might as well say that I could sell my little house near Clapham Junction and optimise its capacity by building a 20-storey tower instead of my 2-storey house. The claim makes no sense.”
Andrew Catto added that the National Planning Policy Framework is recommending to “optimise” the use of the land, not to “maximise“, concluding that this scheme was “too much“.
While members acknowledged the need for affordable housing, particularly social rent properties, they determined that the harm outweighed the benefits and strongly believed other sites in the borough could meet this demand.
What is the Wandsworth Conservation and Heritage Advisory committee
This committee is a local advisory group, focusing on protecting and enhancing the area’s historical and architectural heritage. Although the committee has no power to approve or refuse a particular planning application, its recommendations are taken into account by the Planning Applications Committee (PAC), which has the final say on all planning matters. Two of its members (councillors Tony Belton and Emmeline Owens) are also members of the PAC and therefore they will have in mind the opinion of the WHAC when making the finale decision.
The WHAC meets every other month. The committee is chaired by Dr Michael Jubb, from the Battersea Society along with Mr Peter Farrow (as Deputy Chair) from the Wandsworth Society. It is attended by most of the Societies and some community groups of the boroughs (Balham Society, Wandsworth Historical Society, Tooting History Group,… etc – full list HERE). Three councillors represent the Council (currently 2 Labour and 1 Conservatives) and several officers attend to inform the members and answer questions.
The committee works alongside Wandsworth Borough Council, offering expert advice and feedback on matters related to:
- Conservation Areas: Providing input on developments and changes within designated conservation areas to ensure they align with preservation goals.
- Heritage Assets: Advising on the maintenance, restoration, and use of listed buildings, historic landmarks, and other structures of significance.
- Planning Applications: Reviewing and commenting on planning proposals, especially those that might impact the borough’s historical or architectural character.
- Public Engagement: Promoting awareness of Wandsworth’s rich history and the importance of conservation to residents and stakeholders.
The WHAC typically consists of experts, local historians, architects, and residents who are passionate about heritage preservation. Their role is advisory, meaning they provide recommendations to the council, but decision-making authority lies with the council’s planning committee which has not decided anything on the Glassmill proposal yet, and won’t be doing that until next year according to what officers told us.
Comments on those planning applications have been made with the help of the OpenCouncil reports on Wandsworth Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee.
To watch the full meeting, check HERE.
