Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton defeat plans for 29-storey tower over Chelsea
Wandsworth Council has unanimously rejected plans for a tower next to Battersea Bridge on the southern bank of the River Thames after locals raised concerns it would have loomed over its surroundings.
The outcome is a victory for Sir Mick who was among a host of celebrities backing a petition against the tower, which would have loomed over luxury properties owned by the Rolling Stones frontman and others on the Chelsea side of the river.
The planned One Battersea Bridge tower would have measured nearly 100 metres tall, almost equalling the height of the smoke stacks at nearby Battersea Power Station.
Other celebrities who campaigned against the building include Eric Clapton, actress Felicity Kendal, TV host Anthea Turner and comedian Harry Hill. Lord Browne of Madingley, the former chief executive of BP, also opposed the construction.
All signed the Stop One Battersea Bridge petition, which amassed more than 5,000 signatures calling for development of the 'vast and vulgar property development' to be stopped. The petition claimed the tower would 'destroy a precious, historical riverside vista' to 'line the pockets of a super rich company'.
Rob McGibbon, the petition's founder, wrote: 'Its scale and density for such a location is ridiculous on so many levels, not least the chaos it will cause during and AFTER its construction ... This is not a silly sob story – this is serious.'
The development also attracted than 2,005 letters of objection, compared with 1,892 in support.
Councillors roundly criticised the size of the tower during a vote on the plans on Thursday. Finna Ayres, a Labour councillor, said: 'It's so enormous, it's almost a joke'.
Paul White, another Labour councillor, said the development 'would stand out like a sore thumb', and called the project a 'Trojan horse' that could lead to far more towers in the area.
Mr McGibbon, editor of local news site The Chelsea Citizen, said the plans had 'more flaws than floors'. He said he hoped the council's decision would prompt the developers to scrap the scheme altogether.
Mr McGibbon said: 'This was the wrong scheme, in the wrong area, and they took on the wrong community.
'Just because an architect's computer software says that a tower can be built on a piece of land, it does not make it sensible, viable or morally right.'
The decision is a blow for Cerberus Capital Management, the US private equity firm founded by Steve Feinberg, Donald Trump's deputy secretary of defence, which had teamed up with developer Rockwell on the proposals.
Nicholas Mee, managing director at Rockwell, said: 'Wandsworth Council has made the wrong call, one that shuts the door on urgently needed homes. It's blocked 110 new properties, half at social rent, far exceeding the borough's own affordable housing targets.
'Meanwhile, 11,000 people in Wandsworth are still waiting for a secure place to live. Across London, 80,000 children don't have a permanent home.
'The Spring Statement made it clear: housebuilding is a national priority and a route to growth. Wandsworth hasn't just turned its back on the Labour Government – it's turned its back on the people who need help the most.'
The tower would also have replaced an empty office building, known as the Glassmill. The developer is now considering whether to appeal the council's decision. Rockwell had already slashed 10 storeys from the tower after an initial backlash.
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