EAST END WATERWAY GROUP

NEWSLETTER APRIL MAY 2019

GASHOLDER SPECIAL FOUR: BETHNAL GREEN AND POPLAR

Please go to this vitally important consultation as it is a unique opportunity (especially for those of you who signed the EEWG online petition in January 2017) to support proposals for the retention and reuse of the two historic gasholders in LBTH’s Regent’s Canal Conservation Area, which are also the only surviving in situ gasholders on the Regent’s Canal.

Unfortunately, the method of ‘retention’ has still to be decided by St William Homes, so please do your best to indicate (on the forms provided) your preference for in situ retention and conservation of the guide frames on their in-ground tanks for part of the small park inside the No. 2 guide frame and for an annular block of flats inside the No.5 guide frame.

Specialist engineers Craddy Pitchers Ltd spent two days examining the guide frames. Although they have been asked to look at all the options for ‘retention’, we suspect that their forthcoming report will serve as justification for the developers’ preferred method for the ‘retention’ of historic guide frames: dismantlement for off-site refurbishment and reinforcement, and returning to site for re-erection on new foundations (as stated by National Grid Property Holdings and St William Homes during the long Local Plan process).

We understand that, should St William Homes dismantle the guide frames at Bethnal Green, they will put them back in their original locations, probably on new foundations. This would:

• result in the loss of their existing in-ground tanks and destroy the structural integrity¹ and diminish the significance of:
•  the world’s second-oldest surviving gasholder, which is also the earliest and most ‘classical’ surviving example of its type in the world (No. 2 gasholder of 1866)
• the superb and increasingly rare gasholder built by the world-renowned local firm of Samuel Cutler & Sons of Millwall (No. 5 gasholder of 1889)²

• by St William Homes‘ own estimation, cost £20 million³ whereas Paul Latham’s  Feasibility Study demonstrates that (unlike the four relocated columnar guide frames, on new pile-driven foundations, at King’s Cross, and the heightened lattice guide frame of the Grade-II-listed No. 1 gasholder at Kennington, being dismantled and re-erected, on new pile-driven foundations, at a lower level by Berkeley Homes) the more significant guide frames at Bethnal Green do not have to be relocated or lowered and can be retained and conserved in situ on their existing in-ground tanks (to preserve the structural integrity and significance of the historic gasholders) for only £5 million.⁴

• Result in 20% to 25% affordable housing and a loss of £16,778,459 ‘additional viability testing’ for Tower Hamlets Council ⁵, carried out by BNP Paribas Real Estate, which also works for National Grid Property Holdings: a joint partner with Berkeley Homes in St William Homes⁶) whereas Paul Latham’s Feasibility Study demonstrates that the £5 million in situ retention and conservation would not only maintain the structural integrity and significance of two remarkable gasholders but would also allow:

• - 35% affordable housing
• a £250,000 S106 contribution from St William Homes for the reuse of a closed football pitched at nearby Weaver’s Fields and improved changing facilities
• a 20% profit on market sales for St William Homes ⁷
• the bell (telescopic gas storage tank) of the No. 2 gasholder to be replaced by a small public open space for passive recreation on the infilled in-ground brick tank⁸
• the bell of the No. 5 gasholder to be replaced by an 11-storey annular block of flats, with an underground car park in the in-ground concrete tank: like the Alliance gasholder in Dublin (erected 1885 by Samuel Cutler & Sons of Millwall), which was retained and conserved in situ for an annular block of flats built inside its columnar guide frame

Both visible uses would “sustain and enhance the significance of (the retained) heritage assets” (NPPF para. 185a) and be “ consistent with their long-term conservation” (NPPF para. 185a). And, in addition to providing public benefits, the guide frames on their in-ground tanks would continue to make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area ⁹.

Notes

1 The columns and standards in the circular guide frames stand on top of circular tank walls, which are very wide and deep and form the sides of the in-ground tanks. The bases of the columns in the No. 2 guide frame and the box-lattice standards in the No. 5 guide frame are bolted to the projecting heads of long holding-down bolts, which are embedded in the upper parts of the circular tank walls.

Dismantlement of the guide frames would require the heads of the holding-down bolts to be cut. This would sever the connections between the frames and their existing foundations, which, like the frames, are incredibly strong cylindrical structures. According to the developers’ preferred methodology, the in-ground tanks would be replaced by pile-driven foundations so that without its original in-ground brick tank, the No. 2 gasholder would no longer be the second-oldest surviving gasholder in the world. To avoid this, new holding-down bolts could be inserted and secured in the upper parts of the existing brick tank wall (and in the upper parts of the No. 5’s concrete tank wall). This method would be less expensive than needlessly demolishing the in-ground tanks for new pile-driven foundations.

For more information about the significance of the No.2 and No.5 gasholders at Bethnal Green and their positive contribution to the character and appearance of LBTH’s Regent’s Canal Conservation Area, see Appendix C (pages 32 and 33) in the Feasibility Study.

2 In the case of the No.2 columnar guide frame, the heads of the holding-down bolts are concealed in the hollow cast-iron pedestals (to maintain the ‘classical’ appearance of the superimposed hollow cast-iron columns). The sixteen ‘classical’ pedestals are rare and surviving examples of their type: accessing their hollow interiors to remove and subsequently replace nuts on the concealed heads of the holding-down bolts would be very difficult and likely to damage parts of the brittle cast-iron pedestals. This was not a problem at King’s Cross, as all four relocated columnar guide frames have holding-down bolts with easily accessible exposed heads.

The almost invisible joint between the hollow cylindrical sections making up the superimposed columns would probably have to be reinforced (like the columns at King’s Cross) with mild steel ‘bands’. These would seriously harm their more ‘classical’ appearance, especially in the case of the slightly bulging Doric columns on the pedestals.

The box-lattice standards in the No. 5’s wrought-iron lattice guide frame may also need to be reinforced before or during re-erection. And, according to the developers’ preferred methodology, both guide frames at Bethnal Green would have to be re-bolted and re-erected on expensive new foundations.

3 LBTH response to Main Matter 10 August 2018

4 Feasibility Study pages 9, 10, 11, 42 and 43

5 section 10.4.1 in LBTH/LP/012 (  Main Matter 10 August 2018  )

The % of affordable housing will almost certainly be changed when the Bethnal Green team at St William Homes arranges for a new viability assessment to support their planning application to Tower Hamlets Council. Unlike all the other Local Plan documents relating to the so-called Marian Place Gas Works (Bethnal Green Holder Station – see page 6 and Appendix C in the Feasibility Study), the ‘additional’ viability testing’ has not been made available by Tower Hamlets Council. The independent programme manager requested a copy for EEWG but there was no response from the Local Plan team.

Obviously, the low percentage of affordable housing (due to the high cost of ‘retention’ by dismantlement for off-site refurbishment of the guide frames and subsequent re-erection on expensive new foundations) would be unacceptable to Councillors and residents in Tower Hamlets. As such, the ‘additional viability testing’ by BNP Paribas Real Estate was carried out to justify the demolition of the two historic gasholders in the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area, which was assumed by BNP Paribas Real Estate when they carried out the deeply-flawed viability testing for Scheme 14 Marian Place Gas Works (Feasibility Study pages 5-9 and page 12 for detailed comments on the deeply-flawed ‘additional viability testing’).

Less biased viability testing (December 2017) and additional viability testing (August 2018) would have included testing for EEWG’s October 2017 proposal for the in situ retention and conservation and reuse of the two historic gasholders for housing and open space (supported in October 2017 by Friends of the Regent’s Canal, Regent’s Network, SAVE Britain’s Heritage, East London History Society and two individuals).

6 Feasibility Study page 5, Appendix A and Appendix B

7 Feasibility Study pages 16 to 26

8 As at King’s Cross, the service charge for the residents in the (non-affordable) annular block of flats in the No. 5 gasholder’s guide frame would include payment for the insurance and maintenance of both guide frames, so that Tower Hamlets Council could maintain the public open space (in and around the No. 2 columnar guide frame) without the additional burden of insuring and maintaining the No. 2 columnar guide frame.

9 All the columns and girders in the No. 2 columnar guide frame would be clearly visible in and around the guide frame and from the canal, the towpath and Andrews Road. Whilst the upper part of the No.5 guide frame would be clearly visible above the annular block of flats, the lower parts of the guide frame would be well seen against the homogenous outer face of the annular block of flats, which would simulate the almost fully raised bell of the gasholder.

Although the bells of both gasholders would be removed for viable reuses (as required by Site Allocation 1.3 in LB Tower Hamlets Local Plan: “ retain, reuse and enhance” No. 2 and No. 5 gasholders), the roller carriages fixed to the bells would be salvaged, conserved and relocated at the bases of the guide rails fixed to the insides of the superimposed columns in the No. 2 guide frame (and the insides of the box-lattice standards in the No. 5 guide frame). In these (present) positions and with the help of interpretation boards, people would be able to understand how the up and down movements of the bells (telescopic gas storage tanks) were guided and supported by the guide frames.

Appendix C in the Feasibility Study outlines the significance of the two gasholders (page 32) and their positive contribution to the character and appearance of the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area (page 33).  They are not designated heritage assets, but they are in the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area, which is a designated heritage asset.  In LBTH’s character appraisal for the conservation area, they are named among the “elements which form part of the canals special character and interest”.  Under Local Plan Policy S.DH3 para. 6, the two gasholders are, therefore, “elements which contribute” to the “special character or appearance” of the Regent’s Canal Conservation Area; and “unlisted buildings that make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of” the Regent’s Canal Conservation area.  As such, there is a “presumption in favour” of their retention.

MASS EXTINCTION OF THE HISTORIC LONDON GASHOLDER

The four relocated gasholder guide frames at King’s Cross are on new pile-driven foundations.  Their original foundations or in-ground tanks were on the other side of the Regent’s Canal.  The relocated frames clearly lack the structural integrity of the original Grade-II-listed gasholders and are of diminished significance, which leaves the two historic gasholders at Bethnal Green as the only surviving in situ gasholders on the Regent’s Canal; and, potentially, the only surviving in situ gasholders in London, which was the birthplace of the gas industry:

• Most of London’s historic gasholders were not protected by national listing; and most have been demolished in the last twenty years; and there are several gasholders which have just been demolished or are about to be demolished
• Two locally-listed gasholders at Kennington (similar to the No. 2 at Bethnal Green) are being demolished by Berkeley Homes; and the Grade-II-listed No. 1 gasholder is being reduced to a guide frame on new pile-driven foundations, according to the developers’ preferred method for the ‘retention’ of historic gasholders; pioneered at King’s Cross (specialist engineers Craddy Pitchers Ltd employed as consultants at both sites)
• Seven Grade-II-listed gasholders at Bromley-by-Bow (largest such group in London) seriously threatened by LB Newham’s revised Local Plan, which could result in one or two guide frames being ‘retained’ on new pile-driven foundations
• The oldest surviving gasholder in the world (Grade-II-listed No. 2 of 1829-30 in Fulham) is on Historic England’s at-risk register.

The No. 2 and No. 5 gasholders at Bethnal Green are not obstacles to the development of the former Bethnal Green Holder Station but an opportunity to keep two of the most important surviving in situ gasholders in London and deliver additional public benefits such as housing and public open space.

SAVE THE BETHNAL GREEN GASHOLDERS
KEEP THEIR GUIDE FRAMES ON THEIR IN-GROUND TANKS