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Twin skyscrapers set to dwarf Clapham Junction
Mira Bar-Hillel, Property Correspondent21.01.08
This is the first image of a £400million scheme that will transform Clapham Junction, the world's busiest railway station.
The twin skyscrapers - which will dwarf every building for miles around - will be the centrepiece of the development, which was unveiled today.
Along with the two 127-metre high towers, which will contain 500 homes, there will be a large pedestrianised shopping centre.
Clapham Junction station itself, which many commuters have criticised for being shabby and overcrowded, will be revamped with an emphasis on better access to and between platforms.
The plans by developers Delancey and Land Securities, which are working with Network Rail, will also see nine new lifts and better access to all 17 train platforms from the footbridge.
The plans are now going out to consultation and the developers aim to submit a planning application to Wandsworth in spring.
Glenn Burton, a spokesman for the developers, said: "Our proposals will transform Clapham Junction town centre." Network Rail route director David Pape said: "These proposals fit with our long-term strategy to improve Clapham Junction station for everyone."
However, experts believe that the plans are likely to meet similar objections to those that greeted a scheme submitted in October for two residential towers on the site of the Young's Ram Brewery, also in Wandsworth. Developer Minerva, which bought the brewery site for £69million last August, want to build two residential towers of 39 and 29 storeys as well as shops, restaurants and riverside cafés but critics, including the Wandsworth Society, objected to the location and the scale of the buildings.
Developers are increasingly keen to build high-rise towers in the suburbs, to the horror of local councils and residents.
Last summer plans for a 17-storey building near Sidcup station were rejected by Bexley council, after being described as "a little too exciting".
Tower plans are also being fought in Ealing, Lewisham and Elephant & Castle.
Mayor Ken Livingstone has been accused of promoting new skyscrapers at the expense of London's architectural heritage.
Tory Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson has made in plain that he will oppose tower developments in suburban locations. He said: "When I look at some of the plans for the 27 phallocratic towers that Ken wants to erect in the suburbs, I wonder whether we have learned anything from the experience of the last 50 years."
Reader views (27)
I couldn't oppose this build more strongly - the towers are not suitable for the area. I can't believe there are people that believe modernity is worth such change - they patently weren't around the last time our planning departments went through such a volte face. 99% of those monstrosities were knocked down in the last 15 years! A decent percentage of affordable housing please, a height limit of around 20 floors and some parking please. Not much to ask of the people who are set to make millions out of this development!!!
- Rebecca, Clapham Junction, London, UK
On the face of it this development appears to be exactly what the junction needs - more homes more business, and a shopping centre magnet befitting one of the world's largest train stations. What could be better designed to attract money to what is currently a down-at-heel area? Well, perhaps a better design might help. I'm not sure myself about the breathe in/breathe/out silhouette of the scheme, but that could surely easily be dropped in favour of something sleeker. The main objection so far - height - is not a problem in a scruffy and unplanned. We can save the buildings that matter and add to them something modern, soaring and bold. What a great opportunity! Let's be brave and bold and modern, and not let it slip through our fingers.
- Martin Plimmer, London, UK
I think this project is well overdue. The works to the station look amazing and bring some welcome relief to an otherwise sham of a station. The towers are unlike anything I have seen before and although large will act as a place marker for Clapham. I just hope this project goes ahead in this climate.
- Helen, Clapham Junction
We are, unfortunately, an exponentially increasing population, people need somewhere to live and we have to develop housing. However, looking at this project I feel pretty certain that the developers do not have domestic comfort and affordability as a priority. It looks as if they want to "build 'em high and pack 'em in'. I have recently heard that Wandsworth Council have agreed to waive the obligation to provide the statuatory percentage of apartments for 'affordable' /'social' housing - the sort needed by such members of society as teachers, nurses, police officers, cleaners, bus and train drivers etc.
So many of the developments going ahead in London are for the benefit of the developers, with the concerns of society left a very long way behind. You can be sure that the twin towers at Clapham Junction do not need to be so high. The attempt will be made to sell the flats at very high prices to those who can afford them. There would be a huge pressure on local amenities, and greatly increased traffic to an area which is already congested. Fine to let some development go ahead and towers of up to 11 storeys might be acceptable but this is simply monstrous and of benefit to very few - the developers and possibly some members of Wandsworth Council. If this is how the Council makes its money then I'd rather have a reduction in its services.
Anon, Wandsworth
- Anon, London
I am a local resident and I can see right through the proposal- it is using the need to improve overcrowding at Clapham Junction station to hide what is really an unnecessary development. How do 2 out-of-scale residential towers meet this issue? By bringing in an extra 500 homes, and new shops etc. the proposal will completely transform what is already a busy suburb, that is well-sufficient in terms of shops/bars/cafes. In my opinion it will be largely profitable only to the developers!
- Liz, Clapham Junction
The twin towers is a bit OTT. With Westfield shopping only ten mins by train from Clapham junction the centre doesn't need to be big. Look at the Fulham broadway development as a good example of style and size.
bit OTT
- Martin, battersea park road
I agree with Mark Davies and strongly disagree with Nick Johnson (Gold Cost Australia).
- Maria Brady, ACT Australia ex Clapham Junction Resident
The station does need developing but not to this extent. I am a very local resident and to think of three years of noise,mess etc is one of real concern to me. 500 new flats will not give "local children hope of living in this area",how naive. At least leave us our local pub, the windsor castle!
- Lorraine, battersea
Any improvement would be welcome, though the towers seem an unattractive and old-fashioned solution. But far more important - when will action be taken to reduce the huge gap between the train and several of the platforms (trains going away from London)? It's impossible for women with prams or anyone over the age of about 19 to feel safe, as we are all forced to spring gazelle-like after a hard day's work from the train, down a span of about two feet and a gap of at least a foot. Something must be done!
- Isobel Brown, London England
I am quite happy for them to revamp the station. I'm not happy at the prospect of trying to get the residents of 500 more flats into the trains at rush hour, never mind the pressure on other services.
The sheer height will also be intrusive, they are much taller than the high rises already in the area.
But I suspect we can only rely on Wandsworth to delay the plans, not stop them.
- Heather, Battersea
I entirely agree with Viveb.... Clapham Junction needs no more shops. If this development was to go ahead in the form outlined above, it would have a devastating effect. The shops (many of them not chains but independent retailers) on St Johns Hill, St Johns Road, Lavender Hill and the Northcote Road would all be ruined by this crazy plan. Clapham Junction does not need any more shops, moreover, a shopping centre would encourage chains and spell the end for the independent retailers in the area. Yes - the station needs re-development, but that shouldn't be an opportunity to mess up the whole area. Let's think about this before deciding that two shiny skyscrapers are a good idea. All Clapham Junction (the station) needs is a lick of paint, a second entrance (the old one further up St Johns Hill should be re-opened) and some more ticket machines. Nothing else. If you disagree then thats's fine. Let's just turn SW11 into another generic high street.
- Mark Davies, Clapham Junction, London, UK
Clapham Junction is hardly a 'suburb'.........it's part of the metropolis. Phallocratic towers are the future, whatever Boring Johnson says.
I welcome the proposed much-needed improvements to the station.
- Isobel Eve, Battersea
I live nearby and I look forward to this development. The station is surrounded by quite tall buildings already and there are tower blocks behind.
You couldn't make Clapham Junction look any worse.
- Peter, Battersea
Oh dearie me - yet another 'pedestrianised shopping mall'. By all means build something but let us not have the shops indoors where they only want the 'big' names not the independent traders that used to make up old Battersea. They are already doing to Wandsworth what they have done in any other place, Crawley, Croydon, Chatham etc., make the shopping areas like clones of others. If they want to be individual enough to have these towers, let us be individual enough in the choice of shops on offer!
- Vivib, London, England
As a local resident who uses the station every day I'm glad to see anything that could boost this area from mediocrity. The station shopping centre is very basic and the underpass is one of the nastiest in London, with a leaking roof, huge congestion during the rush hour and a lack of lighting. It's also extremely difficult for disabled passengers or those with luggage or young children, a pressing problem considering the number of passengers who use the station for access to Gatwick Airport.
The area is already home to a dense concentration of 60s tower blocks. It is the design, not the height of the tower blocks we should be focusing on, if they are to be a new landmark for the area. If this development is to be profitable for the developers - allowing them to pay for upgrades to the station and surrounding area - then the buildings need to have enough floor space.
At present, this area could never be described as "a little too exciting". Hopefully this will be the beginning of a transformation.
- Ben, Battersea, London
The design looks interesting if a little unrefined, the overall the concept of high-rise residential in this location is a fine one given the inner city nature of this area and its great transport links. For those who claim they will run the area due to their height, have they not noticed the numerous ugly 60s tower blocks north of the station?
- Gary, Camden Town, London
Rubbish. We don't need to emulate New York city.
- Covgar, London
Why do people get so worked up as soon a tall building is proposed. Apart from the road junction with its predominately fine Victorian architecture, the site is currently a car park and 1980s office block with supermarket warehouses and car parks over the road. It has a very large and busy very neglected dirty railway station, not forgetting the plethora of tall council blocks also nearby. Where were the people up in arms when these were all built.
What's wrong with them being tall. London is over crowded and this sits right on top of a very busy railway station. Clapham Junction is not some quaint little piece of suburbia.
- Paul Smith, Clapham, London
Revamp the station - yes.
Double deck trains - yes.
Connection to the District line from platform one - yes.
Twin towers - No. You would also need extra schools, hospital places, doctors surgeries, dentists, buses, wider roads, parking places.
- John, Berlin, Germany
500 new flats give hopes to our children of living in their local area.
- Chris Davies, Putney
Tower blocks all over London have been demolished, and are still being demolished, yet "uncle Kenny" wants to build more! "Nanny State" should smack his bum.
- Ken Setinstone, North London
We don't need more tower blocks the area is already overrun with them. This will just be another development which won't be affordable to real AWandsworth residents because of the location and postcode.
- Anon, Clapham, London
Don't worry, it will never happen. Wandsworth Council administer the Battersea Power Station site and have spectacularly failed to do anything with it for over 10 years, apart from allow developers to build rabbit hutch apartments for people who like staring at trains going in and out of Victoria station.
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
They aren't in keeping with the rest of the area and would not fit in at all. They would be OK if they were not so tall.
- Charlie, London
I think London needs to get into 2008 and build a few more of these, I live on the Gold Coast Australia and we have many including one I am selling involving the Hilton Group. We have already sold out 1 tower of 186 units in 6 weeks and people cannot get enough of them.
- Nick Johnson, Gold Cost Australia
Brilliant! Just what we need to finally sort out the area, and it looks good too.
The big thing they need to at the same time is connect Clapham Junction to Heathrow, and then the area will finally be fully connected.
- Richard, Clapham Junction
I was already a Boris supporter but even more so now. We do not need these horrible overbearing ugly souless monstrosities, not all over the centre and certainly not in the suburbs. Please! Ken, you are losing it, and let's hope he's gone before the year is out, before he ruins London forever.
- Stephen, London
