Two iconic East London gasworks could soon be turned into a huge new apartment complex after plans for the scheme passed a crucial stage, reports My London.
image: Dr Neil Clifton / Bethnal Green: Gasholder – Wikimedia Commons https://upload.wikimedia.org/
wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Bethnal
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…over 8,000 people signed a petition calling for the gasworks plans to be scrapped…
My London writes:
Plans for the derelict gasholders to be turned into 555 new homes were given the green light by the Greater London Authority, and now look set to be approved by Tower Hamlets Council.
However, the massive scheme has divided local opinion in the East London borough for years.
In 2020, over 8,000 people signed a petition calling for the gasworks plans to be scrapped.
The two gasworks have towered over Bethnal Green since the mid-19th century and are thought to be among the oldest gasometers in the world.
Many Tower Hamlets residents have argued that converting the works into flats would damage the borough’s heritage.
At a Tower Hamlets Council meeting in 2020, campaigners argued against the plans.
Activist Lucinda Rogers told the council: “Removing and re-erecting the gasholder frames will lose their structural integrity.
“They risk being damaged as a ‘patched up’ version of these beautiful and amazing pieces of engineering…”….
The council was sent 79 objections during its 2020 consultation, with many residents arguing that the gaswork plans were “out of character with the conservation area.”…
Alison Dowsett, the developer’s managing director said: “St William recognises the local interest and significance of the gasholder structures at Marian Place.… include the retention of both the No 2 and No 5 gasholders. Working with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, our proposals celebrate the unique character of the area…”
