Battersea Residents Furious at Loss of London Vistas
New tower block will obscure views of The Shard and London Eye
Visualisation of the 57-59 Lombard Road from the developer
July 19, 2023
A 23-storey tower block is set to be built in Battersea despite neighbours’ fears it will block views of famous landmarks like The Shard and London Eye. One local claimed the new buildingwould ‘restrict many views’ residents had paid for.
But Wandsworth Council’s planning committee voted to approve the plans, from Fizzy Battersea Propco LLP and Big Yellow (Battersea) Ltd, on Tuesday, 18 Jul. The tower block on Lombard Road will include 294 flats, including 90 affordable homes, and space for three shops on the ground floor.
Previous plans for a slightly taller building on the same site were thrown out by the committee last year over a lack of affordable housing. The 24-storey tower block would have included 547 shared living units managed by Greystar.
The new development, from the same applicants, is instead a traditional residential scheme with affordable homes. Councillors welcomed the change at the meeting.
Regarding the previous plans, Labour councillor Sheila Boswell said, “I think many of us felt that the shared living didn’t meet a need in the borough when affordable rent, social housing is needed so, so desperately.”
Labour councillor Jamie Colclough added the new scheme ‘does seem a lot better than the previous application’ due to the housing mix.
The site is currently home to Halfords and Pets at Home, which the new tower block will replace.
Locals objected to the scheme ahead of the meeting. One objector lives in Viewpoint, on York Road, and said residents are ‘steadily losing any and all views we had’.
She said, “The skyline from my building is disappearing, I have lost my view of the London Eye in the last two years and this overbearing building will block out The Shard and the Power Station not to mention affect the privacy of my home and those of my neighbours.”
Visualisation of the 57-59 Lombard Road from the developer
Another local argued residents do not need “yet another noisy construction site that will bring congestion and pollution”. He said, “The building will also obscure views of the city, London Eye and Vauxhall from many of the riverside flats which have already lost many of their prized views over recent years and will further devalue these properties.”
A third objector added, “This area is rapidly becoming overbuilt and further works will cause disruption to residents and local businesses as well as an excess of pollution. It will be much taller than any surrounding buildings and restrict many, many views that people have paid for.”
A fourth commented, “There are already way too many new developments in the immediate vicinity. This will undoubtedly increase pressure on local infrastructure and the roads around the area are already dangerously congested.”
Planning documents, submitted on behalf of the application, argued the site is in a ‘prime urban location, benefitting from excellent access to amenities and transport links, located approximately 10 minutes’ walk from Clapham Junction station and Battersea Square’.
They added, “The proposed development would form an attractive townscape feature which adds interest to the skyline and improve the visual amenity of the views with high quality architecture. The form, scale and massing of the proposed development would be congruent to the existing and emerging townscape, which includes taller development along York Road and the surrounding Battersea area.”
A transport assessment with the application said there would be an overall decrease in two-way car trips in the morning and evening peak hours, compared to now as the site is occupied by shops. The scheme includes nine Blue Badge off-street parking spaces.
Permission had already been granted for a 20-storey tower block on the site with 168 homes, along with a Big Yellow Self Storage facility which has been completed.
Councillors approved the scheme at the meeting, subject to confirmation it does not need to be referred to the Mayor of London.
A Greystar spokesperson previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) it had consulted neighbours on the plans and would continue to engage with them through future stages of development.
They said, “Our scheme will deliver much-needed homes for the borough, including affordable properties. Our buildings create truly diverse and mixed communities for families, sharers and individuals, meeting an increasing demand for professionally managed, purpose-built homes for renters.
“Through this new application, we are seeking to improve the design of the previously consented scheme to create a thoughtfully designed building that fits into its surroundings.”
Charlotte Lillywhite - Local Democracy Reporter