Marian Place gasholder site
The council has now received a formal planning application to redevelop the gasholder site in Bethnal Green.
The proposed scheme respects the wishes of the council and thousands of people who want to see the Victorian structures retained, but it ignores recommendations to turn the smaller gasholder into an open park. Whilst the plans have positive features, they appear to be somewhat precarious. The developers have not demonstrated any firm commitment to retaining the gasholders so it is vital that these plans are scrutinised and that we take every step to prevent any broken promises or failed expectations.
If you give unconditional support to this plan, and if the flats are sold without these Victorian frames back in position, then you might regret giving that support. A lot can happen between now and 2027, so this needs careful thought.
Here is a current view from the canal towpath.
... and here is an illustration how it might look in future.
Below is a rather optimistic visualisation of the public realm on a mild evening. This is similar to the artists' impressions of City Road Basin which never came to fruition.Will the rental costs for the retail units be reasonable enough for them to thrive?
Why are there no canal boats along the edge of the site? Has nobody considered the practical benefits of a waterside site? Or is the canal being treated as a marketable ornamental water feature?
Comparison with the refurbished gasholders at King's Cross. The council had stipulated that the flats should not go higher than the top tier of the gasholder frame, so the Marian Place design gives more prominence to the frames.
Should we object?
Arguably, the campaigns to save the gasholders from demolition can be deemed successful because the frames should remain in their original position at the end of the project. However, it is very disappointing that both frames will be filled with private homes, losing the open nature of their structures.
There is an ongoing campaign to leave the smaller, older frame empty and make a park within it, while allowing the larger one to be filled.
There are serious concerns about the plan to dismantle the frames and move them off-site for restoration, which could damage the structures (built 1865 and 1888). East End Waterway Group is saying strongly that they must be restored in situ - please see their petition below.
There are no guarantees in the planning application about those restoration methods. How do we mitigate against the risk that the frames are never re-installed after the flats are sold?
Also, there are a lot of photos in the Design documents, showing how the public realm might be used in ideal circumstances, but there are no signs of any interaction with the canal. The service and delivery plan focuses on road access to the site and there is no mention of using barges to deliver supplies or collect recycling waste. How public is this "public" realm going to be?
Campaign leaflet
East End Waterway Group leaflet
Petition and Bulletins
Petition to Tower Hamlets Council
East End Waterway Group Newsletter No. 7
East End Waterway Group Newsletter No. 8
East End Waterway Group Newsletter No. 9
East End Waterway Group Newsletter No. 10
Article in East End Advertiser 19th December 2019
Article in the Architects' Journal 20th December 2019
A compromise is possible!
There are serious doubts about the developers' claims that the project viablility is precarious. Paul Latham' report demonstrates that profits would still be healthy with the smaller gasholder left empty. Click here to see an animated illustration of another option.
Further reading
Planning statement: see the PDF file (1.3MB) or our mobile-friendly web page
Service and delivery plan (4MB)
Strategic development committee report, Nov 2019. (0.7MB)
Non-technical summary: see the PDF file (8MB) or our mobile-friendly web page
Construction environment management plan (4MB)
Heritage statement (5MB)
Built Heritage document (1MB)
Comments and objections
Study report by viability expert Paul Latham, Jan 2019, showing how the scheme would still be viable with a park inside the smaller No 2. gasholder. (PDF file, 7.5MB)
Feedback from the Canal and River Trust (CRT) (PDF file, 2MB).
Objections from Paul Latham.
Objections from Ian Shacklock.
Objections from Malcolm Tucker (GLIAS).
How to object
Please send your objections to Adam.Garcia@towerhamlets.gov.uk and Development.Control@towerhamlets.gov.uk quoting reference PA/19/02717/A1.
The official deadline is 11th April 2020 but the case officer will continue to accept comments until a decision is made.
If you need help in objecting then please send an e-mail to friendsregentscanal@gmail.com
Council website
You will find a further 200 documents on the council website. Please contact us if you need any assistance.
(Official consultation ends on Saturday 11th April).
Show summary of the application