Wandsworth Council has rejected the appeal made by developer Rockwell to build a 29-storey, 110-home tower near Battersea Bridge, after the council initially refused the scheme last year.
Rockwell appealed to the Planning Inspectorate, making the case that Wandsworth’s Local Plan was out of date and should not be construed as a ‘ban’ on tall buildings in the area. However, the appeal was dismissed, planning inspector Joanna Gilbert commenting that the proposed tower was five times taller than the recommended building height and that it would “appear alien and isolated.”
Wandsworth Council originnally rejected the scheme in 2025 on the basis it failed to follow policy or meet the needs of the local community.
Gilbert said Rockwell had failed to properly test the viability of lower-rise alternatives, with “little effort to come anywhere close to reasonable policy expectations.” However the developer countered that the scheme, which included 54 affordable homes at social rent, workspace for small businesses, a restaurant and a hub for local charities, was an “elegant building of exemplary quality.”
The scheme faced wide opposition from residents and heritage groups, and a petition by the Chelsea Citizen publication gained more than 5,000 signatures. It was supported by celebrities including Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, Felicity Kendal, Anthea Turner, and Harry Hill, and gathered 2,028 objections on the council’s planning portal.
The inspector said the tower did not form part of a ribbon cluster of tall buildings, and would harm the area’s “spatial character.”
However the developer’s KC said in court that the site “should accept optimised change” and the scheme would provide “much-needed affordable housing to tackle the capital’s housing crisis.”