On Sunday I walked along the Thames from Wandsworth Bridge to London Bridge. I was pleased to see that part of the route by Battersea Power Station is now open, so you don’t have to divert along the roads quite as much. And you can get close up. Still a way to go, but it is going to be brilliant in the not too distant future.
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About John S
I'm blogging about the things I love: music, sport, culture, London, with some photos to illustrate aspects of our wonderful city. I’ve written a novel called “The Decision”, a futuristic political thriller, and first of a trilogy. I’m also the author of a book on music since the 1970s called “ I Was There - A Musical Journey” and a volume of poetry about youth, “Growin’ Up - Snapshots/ Fragments”. All available on Amazon and Kindle.
Thoughtsfromwestfive 
Nice view, John. But you’re going to get a longer reply than you bargained for!
I’ve been walking past the development every few weeks for the last five or so years: it’s a part of one of my long river rambles, Home to Dome. I WANT it to be brilliant, but I remain uncertain.
Nobody can doubt the seriousness and sophistication of the plan, and one of the most impressive aspects of the development is the determination to build a genuine community there. Hence not only playgrounds and gardens and a library, but charity outreach, theatre, bakeries, clubs, a community choir, fire station, bands, learning sites, volunteer schemes, knitting circles, the works. So all the intentions are good.
My only concerns are twofold. The first, on a physical level, is that the glorious icon of the power station will be engulfed by the surrounding buildings, instead of enjoying its current splendid isolation. And the second, on the economic and social front, is that with Brexit, a tanking economy, and foreign investment drifting away from London, much of the development will remain unsold and unloved – or perhaps sold, but to absentee tenants.
The river walk that I mentioned takes me through Putney, Wandsworth, Battersea and Vauxhall – and on a brilliant autumn Saturday morning, I walk past huge tower blocks seemingly devoid of occupants. If such a thing happened to this development, that would be such a great pity, and an amazing opportunity wasted.
Here’s an interesting short film from the master planner.
He talks a good game – but illustrates his ambitions with footage from Hyde Park and Battersea Park! They’re not quite the same as the very small green spaces in the main plan.
Yours in hope, anyway.
Dood
I think Battersea Power station will be magnificent enough to dominate the surroundings. I assume the surrounding tall buildings have been located and designed to allow proper sightlines of BPS. Totally agree with you re the vacant high end properties from Putney to Vauxhall. It is a scandal. The Tories won’t ever do anything about it, but hopefully Labour, if in power, would. If they are vacant for more than, say, six months of the year, the owners should be forced to rent them out at affordable prices for ordinary Londoners. Always hard to buck the market, but it is imperative that something like this happens. Of course it is attempted by Labour in the backstory of “The Decision”, and is one reason the government gets overthrown!
But where’s that flying pig?
Nice thought, Bantering, and a great pop culture memory. It last landed at the V & A show a couple of years ago – but now it’s shipped its moorings again.