Go-ahead for 2,100 homes at world’s largest Victorian gasworks

Aaron Morby 2 days ago
Share

Developer Berkeley Group’s St William division has got the planning green light to restore the UK’s largest surviving cluster of Victorian gas holders to create 2,100 new homes within the heritage site.

The Bromley by Bow Gasworks site in east London comprises seven disused Grade II listed gasholders.

Seven gasholder frames will contain 10-storey blocks with six extra 15-20 storeys cylindrical buildings surrounding

Under plans drawn up by architect RSHP, these will be restored to incorporate many of the new homes within the cast iron structures.

The remaining homes will be built in higher rise surrounding cylindrical buildings echoing the gas holder homes.

A Section 106 legal agreement has to be finalised with London’s Newham Council, before work can begin on site in 2025.

St William’s ambitious scheme will involve a hefty upfront investment with the cost of temporary disassembly and restoration of the seven listed gasholders put at £80m alone.

The site is home to 7 of the last 19 listed gasholder remaining in the UK

This is before largely unquantifiable decontamination, enabling and ground remediation costs on the 9 hectare site.

Structural steel engineering specialists Craddys and Shepley have been closely involved in drawing up plans to reuse the cast iron gas holder structures, built between 1870 and 1882 for a cost of £300,000.

Both firms were previously involved in the project to dismantle, refurbish and re-erect the Gasholder No.8 guide frame at Kings Cross as well as the refurbishment and re-erection of the Kings Cross Triplets Gasholders.

St William submitted a hybrid planning application for the site, which also include the remains of two gas holders destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the second World War.

New lake at centre of the site where gasholder once stood before being destroyed

These will turned into a central circular lake and a community space covered with one of the gas holder iron frames.

Planned community area framed with iron frame from one of the old gasholder tanks

Detailed consent

Phase 1 to deliver 634 homes  – Plan for two new buildings in existing gasholders – G1 and G2 – rising to 7 and 10 storeys and two new ‘pencil buildings’  rising to 15 and 20 storeys

Also includes 1,700sq m of flexible commercial / non-residential

Outline consent

All other gasholder buildings – G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8 and G9 and Pencil Buildings B1, B2, B3 and B4 – to deliver nearly 1,500 homes.

Includes new community facilities, some retail and commercial floorspace including office and light industrial uses and entertainment revenues

Full scheme plan alongside neighbouring TwelveTrees Park scheme also being delivered by Berkeley Homes

Latest news

City planners defer decision on London tower as tall as The Shard

Planning decision postponed on 74-storey One Undershaft tower
17 hours ago

Final phase of Elephant & Castle rebuild advances

Get Living starts consultation to build 500 homes on final parcel of land
7 mins ago

Diamond drilling specialist set to hit £40m turnover

LDD Construction enjoys record order book and opens new regional office
44 mins ago

BAM Construction northern chief steps down

John Phillips retires after 35 years at building contractor
7 hours ago

New Government must act decisively over on-hold projects

Civils contractors call for urgent action on paused critical infrastructure projects
22 hours ago

McLaren set for giant London data centre

Contractor set to sign deal for first building on 210 MW AI-ready campus in Docklands
24 hours ago

Eric Wright submits £60m plan for Blackburn cyber campus

Blackburn Market phase 1 consists of two landmark buildings
23 hours ago

Southern Framework awards record £687m in first year

Fifth generation construction framework delivers within 5% of contract sum
23 hours ago

Mace pins hope on Government for construction growth

Market conditions improving with hope of a post-election industry boost
23 hours ago

Graham builds record £2bn pipeline after steady year

Contractor surpassed the £1bn turnover milestone for the second year running
23 hours ago

Galliford Try rebrands telecoms arm for 5G network push

Galliford Try Digital Infrastructure will target fast-growing Radio Access Network market
23 hours ago

Go-ahead for 2,100 homes at world’s largest Victorian gasworks

Berkeley Group hopes to begin work on London Bromley by Bow site in 2025
2 days ago

Re-bid starts for £95m Victoria Tower restoration

Firms called up again to bid to restore The Palace of Westminster’s tallest tower
2 days ago

ISG wins £44m Coventry IKEA store conversion

Seven-floor store to be converted into landmark cultural hub for the city
2 days ago

Ferrovial Construction UK eyes expansion into new sectors

Firm returns to profit and reports record revenue of £572m
2 days ago

Turnover continues to soar at Keltbray

Specialist contractor makes pre-tax loss as order book tops £1bn
2 days ago

Willmott Dixon wins £60m Bridgend campus

Contractor vows to work with local firms in south Wales
2 days ago

Housing giants to build bird nests and hedgehog highways

Twenty house builders sign pledge to support wildlife in every home built
5 days ago

Microsoft to build ‘hyperscale’ datacentre near Leeds

Harworth sells remediated land at former Skelton Grange power station
5 days ago

Birmingham 450 inner-city flats scheme approved

Derelict railway site housing plan at Winson Green gets outline backing
5 days ago

M Group sold to new private equity group

New owners CVC plan to accelerate growth drive
6 days ago

Mace names new datacentre and pharma MDs

Two key promotions to target fastest-growing construction markets
5 days ago

Concrete delivery driver electrocuted on site

Main contractor fined £30,000 after crane arm of lorry hits power line
6 days ago

United Living seals two strategic energy retrofit takeovers

Contractor snaps up net zero training specialist and heat pump design tool software firm
5 days ago

Balfour Beatty names next construction chief

Alstom UK managing director Nick Crossfield joins Balfour later this year
6 days ago

Ballymore’s Stratford Waterfront resi towers approved

Construction of quartet of towers to start in Spring 2026
6 days ago

Huge fire hits Staines resi towers site

Four workers treated for smoke inhalation on Fairview job
7 days ago

Third contractor appointed to finish Wokingham apartments

Third time lucky for council after two previous contractors went bust
7 days ago

Olgivie wins Edinburgh offices-to-hotel job

1970s offices in Haymarket area to be converted into 157-bed hotel
6 days ago

Prep works to begin for £49m Howden Relief Road

Hull-based PBS Construction prepares for full project start in January 2025
6 days ago

Contractor services