Work begins to dismantle Greenwich gasholder?
Work appears to have started on dismantling the Greenwich gasholder.
A crane, machinery and workers are on site looking over the structure. An application to demolish was made back in December 2017.
The holder is one of the few remaining signs of a rich industrial legacy on the Peninsula. The gasholder suffered damage due to an IRA bomb in 1979. Repairs needed are one reason given by Historic England not to list the structure.
Calls to retain the structure within a park or incorporated into housing as seen elsewhere in London have been rejected.
In recent months a gasholder in Sydenham has been dismantled.
Click here to read a history of the Greenwich gasholders.
Murky they’ve been demolishing it for over a year! what you see now is a tiny ghost. We have lots of pictures of the demolition plus sensational drone footage and are trying to put an exhibition on. Saying repairs are a reason for demolition is total nonsense and misunderstands what has actually happened. Happy to discuss or write at length about what is going on. Honestly!! There are a number of articles out there and a petition which you clearly didn’t see.
However there is a chance the big Bethnal Green holder has been saved – but only because a developer has bought it . EG1 was never up for sale
If anything, the damage makes it more historical..
Perfectly true – the historic record is evidenced in the repair – but this is not how Historic England look at things when deciding to list or not list. In this case their decision (quite wrongly, I think) was not to list..
PS – two gas holders at Sydenham have been demolished – look at the campaigners web page!
Sad thing is the gasometer is more attractive than most of the buildings due to be built around that site.
There use to 2 gas holders there at one time , the that was damaged by I r a was pulled down years ago I worked there 1962 to 1973
William – always happy to hear about your memories of the gas works. email on greenwichindhist@aol.com or find the Greenwich Industrial History facebook page and contact