Berkeley Group’s St William division has finally secured full planning to restore the UK’s largest surviving cluster of Victorian gas holders to create 2,100 new homes within the heritage site.

The developer can progress the Bromley-by-Bow Gasworks scheme in East London after completing a Section 106 legal agreement with the London Borough of Newham.

Architect RSHP drew up plans to incorporate many of the new homes within the cast iron structures

The developer has worked closely with the council and Historic England to unlock the hugely complex 23-acre brownfield site, which will see a £72m investment in the temporary dismantling, restoration and re-erection of the listed gasholders.

Seven gasholder frames will contain buildings of up to 10-storeys, a further six new buildings will surround these, rising to 15-20 storeys and echoing the cylindrical designs.

The regeneration programme is forecast to create over 2,800 on-site jobs during construction, 30,000 sq ft of new commercial space and will make a £4.4m contribution towards local skills and employment programmes.

The site is home to 7 of the last 19 listed gasholder remaining in the UK

Structural steel engineering specialists Craddys and Shepley was closely involved in drawing up plans to reuse the cast iron gas holder structures, built between 1870 and 1882 for a cost of £300,000.

Both firms were previously involved in the project to dismantle, refurbish and re-erect the Gasholder No.8 guide frame at Kings Cross as well as the refurbishment and re-erection of the Kings Cross Triplets Gasholders.

St William submitted a hybrid planning application for the site, which also include the remains of two gas holders destroyed by the Luftwaffe in the second World War.

New lake at centre of the site where gasholder once stood before being destroyed by bombing.

The second damaged gasholder will be turned into a community space covered with one of the gas holder cylinder iron frames.

Detailed consent

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Phase 1 to deliver 634 homes  – Plan for two new buildings in existing gasholders – G1 and G2 – rising to 7 and 10 storeys and two new ‘pencil buildings’  rising to 15 and 20 storeys

Also includes 1,700sq m of flexible commercial / non-residential

Outline consent

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All other gasholder buildings – G3, G4, G5, G6, G7, G8 and G9 and Pencil Buildings B1, B2, B3 and B4 – to deliver nearly 1,500 homes.

Includes new community facilities, some retail and commercial floorspace including office and light industrial uses and entertainment revenues

Full scheme plan alongside neighbouring TwelveTrees Park scheme also being delivered by Berkeley Homes