Overview
- A national planning inspector dismissed Rockwell Property’s appeal, ruling the proposed 29-storey, 100m tower by Battersea Bridge would be overbearing and visually harmful.
- The decision, issued by an inspector who reviews local planning appeals, upholds Wandsworth Council’s refusal and aligns with the Greater London Authority’s view on excessive height and scale.
- Rockwell had cut the scheme from 34 to 29 storeys and from 142 to 110 flats, with 54 designated as affordable homes, but the revisions did not overcome concerns about impact.
- Civic groups including the Chelsea Society, the Battersea Society and Historic England opposed the plans, alongside more than 2,000 objections, over 6,000 petition signatures and high-profile residents led by Mick Jagger.
- Rockwell said it was disappointed and argued the Farrells-designed project would deliver needed homes, while the inspector said the tower would appear isolated rather than part of a tall-building cluster, weighing against it on this stretch of the river.