National Grid has plans for a new mixed–use development on the 4.9 acre site to comprise new homes, shops, offices, leisure facilities and new public spaces. The plans will be subject to a separate planning application to the Council.
The Council said in a statement that the demolition consent removes a potential barrier to regenerating neighbouring sites including Marco Polo House and Battersea Power Station. It said that this is because land surrounding a gasholder facility is subject to health and safety regulations which can prohibit development.
"Whilst the redevelopment proposals for the site are not included as part of this application, the clearance and remediation of the site is considered a significant and positive step towards achieving longer term redevelopment aspirations," said the Council's planning officers in their report (146-page / 495KB PDF).
The gasholders were originally built to store gas made from coal at a local gasworks, located mostly on what is now New Covent Garden Market and a former Royal Mail depot. With the discovery of North Sea gas, the gasworks became redundant and closed in 1970. The gasholders have since been used to store natural gas but were decommissioned last year.
The gasholders are not listed buildings but the Council has attached a condition to the planning consent which requires National Grid to document the site's historic and architectural features prior to demolition.
"Demolishing the gasholders will be an important step towards bringing this redundant site back into use," said the Council's planning chairman Nick Cuff. "We hope to see hundreds of new jobs and homes created here in the years ahead."
"The facility occupies a very important position next to Battersea Power Station where a new shopping area, Tube station and riverside park are planned. Redeveloping the gasholders site could create important new routes between this emerging town centre and established Battersea communities to the south," Cuff said.
The demolition work is expected to start in the spring and to take 16 months to complete.
