Bell Green Gas Holders - Proposal to Demolish in April 2018.

[syd]

I took up the case of the pre-Sports Direct diagonal timber shuttering that enclosed that entire area plus the poor quality of the general white surface on the remainder of the development with Lewisham planners. I contended that what was an allegedly approved high quality white finish was in fact a poorly applied cheap material that presented, then and now, a patchwork quilt effect.

The planners responded that they had no powers to remedy the sub-standard finishes but that they would refer the query to the developer. I am certain I will have copies of the correspondence.

So how did the Sports Direct blocks get past planners - not at all sure - but by that time I am almost certain the planners had disengaged. They may have been influenced by the fact that the location had lain vacant for sometime before occupation - and may have held a pragmatic view that the prospective tenant had the upper hand in negotiation and a better specification for the wall finish was not on the table.

But then - who knows ?.

Then I really don’t understand why Nando’s was given such a hard time

[JRW]

That makes me think, why don't we ask if we can have a 'Sydenham' mural on the Sports Direct breezeblock? It would have to be agreed that it was temporary, as another retailer might want windows, but would be great to reinforce that Bell Green is Sydenham too!

[JGD]

if you believe Trump the Grump is bad - the owner of Sports Direct is a world beater in demanding his pound of flesh out of any proposed deal.

Cannot think what number he might come up with to permit a mural on his wall.

[JRW]

Ah, the power of social media. He might not agree, but it doesn't stop us having fun tweeting mock-ups of what could be.... Make Bell Green know that it counts as Sydenham too. The campaign could be community-building in itself.....

Besides which, I don't suppose he is more than a tenant of the shop. It would be the landlord's decision surely?

[The Clown]

6 Proposals for Gas Holders shortlisted by RIBA

https://www.dezeen.com/2017/11/09/six-p ... ssion=true

Just sayin’

[Ghlpc]

Love the sports centre.

[The Clown]

You can never have enough sports centres - positive impacts on society are so far reaching

[mosy]

You can never have enough sports centres - positive impacts on society are so far reaching

Absolutely, maybe competitive sports or just trying to beat one's own record (like rock walls). It ties right in with another thread that teens now have nowhere to go to use up excess energy so are increasingly limited to hanging around street corners as the only option. The downside of sports centres is that ironically entrance charges are prohibitive for many of those who'd benefit the most.

[JRW]

I think it would make the best ever adventure playground. You could have zip wires and abseiling, trampolines and climbing walls. It would use the structure for a positive new use, and the local kids somewhere to have fun.

[TredownMan]

Some positive news: the plan to demolish the gasholders, if it goes ahead, won’t endanger our local peregrine falcons, according to a study sent to the planning department.

The owners commissioned CT Ecology, a consultancy, to undertake a survey of the sight, as part of the application to remove them.

The survey used ground based study with binoculars, and a drone.

While peregrine falcons from a nest nearby had perched on the steelwork during the survey, there’s no evidence of them nesting. The survey notes the site is unsuitable for nesting – the beams are too narrow, exposed and lack loose material for nesting. The law bans interference with nests and chicks but not perches.

“Industrial and commercial structures in the wider area provide additional features for use by this species for perching and therefore removal of the gas structures are not considered to negatively impact this species," the letter says.

“Based on the results of the survey peregrine falcon, together with other nesting birds, are not considered to pose any constraints to the proposed demolition of the gas holders and no further survey or mitigation is considered necessary.”

[nicknack]

Here's a bit of lateral thinking for all those determined to knock them down - why shouldn't they give the area an identity in a similar way to the transmitter tower in Crystal Palace? I bet many people thought that was an eyesore when it was built, but now it's become a visual icon & everyone loves it. Imagine the campaign to save it if it became redundant & was threatened with removal. Well the gasholders are basically similar structures, except smaller and more historic, what would the area have if they were destroyed? A massive anonymous car park/retail park. Put that on a tea towel.

You don't know what you've got till it's gone.

[John H]

When the actual gasholders are removed and the work to detox the ground begins the structures will no doubt be unable to be self-supporting. These ugly scaffolds are not in any way unique. Their presence has always been a reminder of a (now removed) extreme hazard. That association will not wane because of this campaign and you can bet the cost of strengthening them, to make them self-supporting, will be immense.

I understand a planning application is in to reuse the site. This removes the cost of preserving the eyesore and increases the income of the Local Authority.


They never were beautiful. Their removal should be celebrated.

[The Clown]

Some more visionary thinking from Stockholm
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/30/gaskl ... hitecture/

[Tim Lund]

Some more visionary thinking from Stockholm
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/30/gaskl ... hitecture/

Converting old gas holders to housing is undoubtedly a nice idea, but given the costs, it will only pay for itself by selling top end flats. It can work in places of abnormally high property prices, which you get in the centre of attractive cities such as London (Kings Cross), Dublin and Stockholm, all of which have very restrictive planning systems which allow the abnormally high prices.

[nicknack]

They never were beautiful. Their removal should be celebrated.

Beauty is in the eye of the be(gas)holder.

Does history, heritage or identity mean nothing to you either? How 'beautiful' will the new Aldi/flats/car park be?

[stuart]

Does history, heritage or identity mean nothing to you either? How 'beautiful' will the new Aldi/flats/car park be?

Yes, yes and yes. There is a place for historic gas holders. Where they are truly iconic as with ones mentioned above. Does anybody really have a problem with that? Devaluing that claim here in Bell Green by [as some have done] by invoking misleading claims and preposterous proposals or even thinking that the Kings Cross development is about any of that.

When it comes down we have to balance the wish of the few to maintain them (at whose expense?) keeping much needed land sterile rather than have a development (of Aldi) which would be more useful and attractive to rather more. Or don't they count?

Stuart

[John H]

They never were beautiful. Their removal should be celebrated.

Beauty is in the eye of the be(gas)holder.

Does history, heritage or identity mean nothing to you either? How 'beautiful' will the new Aldi/flats/car park be?

History means a great deal to me.. Most of it is bunk. What masquerades as history is merely a verbatum repeat of lazy hacks' cheap pieces. However... there are hundred if not thousands of these ugly pieces of ironwork across the land. To anyone but the chattering classes they represent the tyranny of Victorian privilege.

[JRW]

Had you actually bothered to read up on the gas works, you would know that Bell Green was at the heart of an innovative model of workers having a profit share, and workers representation on the board of directors. This is the context to the Livesey Hall, built to commemorate a liberal, forward-thinking employer, who gave the space for workers to achieve their potential.

Workers clubbed together to raise the funds for a social club in Livesey's memory, and built it themselves. The terracotta facade and bricks were fired onsite, by the gasworks The dedication was to Livesey, but the hall was built for their own use. Projecting one's own political assumptions onto historical events is unhelpful, and says more about the commenter than it does about the facts.

[stuart]

Are you not getting off the point JRW? Livesey Hall had a purpose then, it has a purpose now. The skeleton support of the gas holders do not. They were never there for the benefit of the workers (or falcons).

Whereas the land they occupy could be returned to use instead of being a drain on everybody's purse.

Stuart

[Pally]

Spot on Stuart!