DEFEND THE REFUSAL. STOP ROCKWELL’S APPEAL.
Rockwell is appealing Wandsworth Council’s unanimous refusal of its proposed 28-storey tower at the Glassmill site on Battersea Bridge Road.
The plans were rejected because it was the wrong development in the wrong place. Rather than accepting that decision, Rockwell is now using the appeal process to try to outspend, outlast, and override a clear democratic refusal.
This appeal will cost taxpayers money, pull Council time away from real priorities and prolong uncertainty for local residents. All of this is to keep alive a scheme that may never be built and rests on financial claims that do not add up.
Instead, the Council should be freed up to focus on supporting deliverable housing, backing real investment and securing growth that can actually be built, lived in – and sustained.
Residents are calling on the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State to stand with the Council and residents, defend the refusal and dismiss this appeal.
DEFEND THE REFUSAL. STOP ROCKWELL’S APPEAL.
Rockwell is appealing Wandsworth Council’s unanimous refusal of its proposed 28-storey tower at the Glassmill site on Battersea Bridge Road.
The plans were rejected because it was the wrong development in the wrong place. Rather than accepting that decision, Rockwell is now using the appeal process to try to outspend, outlast, and override a clear democratic refusal.
This appeal will cost taxpayers money, pull Council time away from real priorities and prolong uncertainty for local residents. All of this is to keep alive a scheme that may never be built and rests on financial claims that do not add up.
Instead, the Council should be freed up to focus on supporting deliverable housing, backing real investment and securing growth that can actually be built, lived in – and sustained.
Residents are calling on the Planning Inspectorate and the Secretary of State to stand with the Council and residents, defend the refusal and dismiss this appeal.
WHERE THINGS STAND
The Glassmill, 1 Battersea Bridge Road
- Decision: Unanimously refused by Wandsworth Council (April 2025)
- Now: Rockwell has lodged an appeal
- What this means: Public time, money and resources are being spent to re-fight a scheme that was already decisively rejected
Friends of Battersea Riverside stands with Wandsworth Council and supports a robust defence of its decision.
WHY THE REFUSAL MUST BE DEFENDED
The political and public interest case
This appeal should never have been brought forward.
- A unanimous refusal ignored: Rockwell lost every vote at committee and is now attempting to bypass local democracy.
- Buying a second bite: The appeal process is being used to pressure the system into granting consent that could not be achieved locally.
- A waste of public money: Council officers, inspectors and emergency services are diverted from real priorities to deal with an unviable scheme.
- Community trust undermined: Residents are rightly outraged that a rejected proposal is being forced back onto the agenda.
- No credible delivery case: Our assessment is that the scheme is not financially viable and may be unbuildable, making this exercise futile as well as costly.
This is not how the planning system should be used.
The planning and safety case
The Council was right to refuse this scheme. The problems are fundamental and cannot be fixed through appeal.
- Far too big for the site: A 28-storey tower forced onto a sensitive stretch of riverside, completely out of scale with its surroundings and at odds with the character of Battersea.
- Real harm to neighbours: Unacceptable loss of daylight, privacy and outlook for existing homes, and poor living conditions for future residents.
- Fire safety and emergency access: The fire service has raised serious concerns about access and response times on already constrained local roads. These are safety issues, not design details.
- Damage to the riverside and heritage: Harm to the Thames Path, important river views and the setting of nearby heritage assets, including Battersea Bridge and Albert Bridge.
- Unsafe construction and servicing: Disruptive and potentially dangerous servicing and construction arrangements on narrow streets and along the Thames Path.
- Affordable housing claims that do not stack up: Promises of “50 per cent affordable housing” are not credible without transparent viability evidence and enforceable obligations.
- Clear conflict with planning policy: The proposal fails both the Local Plan and the London Plan, with no justification for setting policy aside.
These are not minor flaws. They go to the heart of why the scheme was refused and why the appeal should be dismissed.
TAKE ACTION
Contact Marsha de Cordova
Rockwell’s appeal raises serious questions about misuse of the planning system. Residents are calling on Marsha de Cordova MP to press the Secretary of State to intervene and stop this vexatious appeal from going ahead. Download the pack below to for help and a template letter for contacting our local MP.
OUR POSITION
Friends of Battersea Riverside supports Wandsworth Council’s unanimous refusal of the Glassmill scheme. We oppose Rockwell’s appeal and believe it should be dismissed swiftly in the public interest.
We want development that is smaller, policy-compliant, genuinely affordable and respectful of the river and its communities.
STAY INFORMED
The appeal process will shape Battersea’s riverside for generations.
