City Hall Desk

The redevelopment of the iconic Battersea Power Station been given the go ahead by Mayor of London Boris Johnson, bringing closer the prospect of a major extension to the Northern Line, the creation of more than 20 acres of new public space and the construction of thousands of homes.

At a Planning and Spatial Development Strategy meeting at City Hall, the Mayor approved plans which will provide a boost to a neglected part of south London and see the historic Grade II* listed building restored and opened up to public use for the first time. The station has remained vacant since it was decommissioned in 1983.

The application is an integral part of the GLA Group’s wider Vauxhall-Nine Elms-Battersea Opportunity Area (OA), one of the largest regeneration proposals being considered in the capital. Once completed, the OA will deliver as many as 25,000 jobs, with about 15,000 people working within Battersea Power Station alone. In addition the Vauxhall-Nine Elms-Battersea regeneration would provide 16,000 new homes, the largest park space to be created in central London over the last half century, and secure the area’s future as a major retail and leisure destination.

The Battersea Power Station proposal, submitted by Real Estate Opportunities Plc, was approved by Wandsworth Council in November and referred to the Mayor as an application of strategic importance. It includes a commitment from the developers of more than £200 million in funding towards a two-station extension of the Northern Line from Kennington.The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Battersea Power Station has long been an iconic feature of the capital’s skyline, and these plans will make sure that status is retained for years to come. The building was once a vital motor helping to power the capital. With its future secured through this regeneration, it will once again play a part in driving London’s economy."