The planning dispute over a 29-storey tower at Battersea Bridge will be fought again from tomorrow, after developers appealed Wandsworth Council’s unanimous refusal. In an interview, Planning Committee chair Tony Belton says the appeal shows “arrogance” and disregard for local opposition.

A long-running planning battle over a proposed tower at the foot of Battersea Bridge is set to return to the spotlight this week. After being refused by Wandsworth Council, the developers behind the One Battersea Bridge scheme have lodged an appeal, which will be examined during an eight-day public inquiry opening tomorrow morning (17 March) at Wandsworth Town Hall.

The project — a 29-storey residential tower replacing the Glassmill building — has proved highly controversial locally, with critics arguing that its height and massing would breach several local planning policies and be dramatically out of scale with the surrounding mid-rise riverside area near Battersea Bridge.

• Read our previous coverage: Controversial 29-storey Battersea tower rejected, casting doubt on recent planning decisions

Wandsworth Council’s leading planning chief has blasted developers of the controversial tower by Battersea Bridge as ‘arrogant’ and acting with ‘no care’ for the views of residents, or the council.

Councillor Tony Belton, chairman of the Planning Applications committee, also hit out at Rockwell Property for making the council spend more than half a million pounds defending its own unanimous decision to reject the 29-storey block of luxury flats on a historic stretch of river bank.

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with The Chelsea Citizen, Cllr Belton – who has more than 50 years of experience in local government – was also damning of Rockwell’s offer of affordable housing as the reason for allowing the development. Mr Belton, 84, dismissed it as the wrong type of accommodation and a ‘drop in the ocean’ in relation to the council’s needs.

“They have been very arrogant towards local people and incredibly arrogant to the residents living in the block [Thameswalk] that shares the party wall. They have not connected with them at all.”

“The attitude of the developers is very interesting. They have always assumed that they were getting their plans through, regardless of what local people think. And local opinion has been unanimously against. That’s arrogance,” he added.

Cllr Belton has been dismayed by the approach taken by Rockwell, the company owned by Monaco-based property tycoon, Donal Mulryan. The development proposals were thrown out by Wandsworth Council in April 2025. Conservative councillors even set aside their long-held differences with Labour to unite against the proposal. Cllr Belton added:

“In all my years at the council, the Tories have opposed every single planning application that Labour has supported. On this occasion, however, they sided with Labour to reject the tower. So – Rockwell has at least succeeded in uniting the council!”

London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan also refused to overturn the decision, but Rockwell appealed to the Government, leaving the council no choice but to defend its decisions. An eight day public inquiry will open at Wandsworth town hall tomorrow morning (17th March).

“It is outrageous Rockwell do not recognise we could get charged for the costs of this appeal. Rockwell should be made to pay the costs of this crazy exercise.”

Fees for legal representation, including an expensive Kings Counsel, are believed to be in excess of £500,000, which – according to Cllr Belton – represents around one percent of the local authority’s council tax revenue.

Belton explained that cash-strapped councils face difficult decisions every day and that the money being used for the public inquiry could be better used “for transport, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) kids, support for the elderly, or education“.

Mr Belton also explained how Rockwell’s 50 affordable housing units within its proposal would all be placed at height that is impractical for families with young children.

“As anywhere in London we have a pretty desperate housing need,” he said, describing the 50 units Rockwell are proposing is,”a drop in the ocean”.

“Affordable housing at height is not a good option. Affordable housing by its very nature is inclined to house families that are not terribly well off with children. Children in high rise buildings has never been a great idea. Mums and dads like to have their eye on their kids, especially when they are out at play, not 15 storeys up.”

Cllr Belton says that he believes the scale of the development is being driven by Rockwell paying too much for the Glassmill site. He also issued a warning about the future of Battersea Riverside if the appeal is successful, citing the stretch of river front, from Battersea Power Station to Cremorne railway bridge as being largely untouched by high rise.

“This will be destroyed,” said Cllr Belton. “It changes the outlook from Chelsea, looking south, which should be protected”.

“Rockwell clearly paid far too much for the site in the first place. I don’t know how much they spent, but they obviously need a very large development to justify their original expenditure. I don’t see why the community and Wandsworth should pay for their mistake.”

Furthermore, Cllr Belton also expressed concern around the open-ended closure of Albert Bridge and the near-permanent existing road works in Battersea streets surrounding the Glassmill site. He believes any new construction work would bring the entire area to a standstill.

“Whilst Albert Bridge is closed, Battersea Bridge could not take the strain,” said Cllr Belton.

“Rockwell have made an enormous mistake. It would be better for everyone, if they gave up and accepted the whole community is against it. We do not want a building like this on our riverfront”.

A few voices from the area

Mick Jagger condemns One Battersea Bridge: ‘Wrong on every level’

Sir Mick Jagger, who first moved to Chelsea in the early 1960s with Keith Richards and Brian Jones and still has a house in the area, said:
“Such a huge building project of another high tower in Battersea & Chelsea makes no sense and is totally wrong on every level.
I have lived in this area for a long time and I care what happens to it. If this goes ahead it could lead to more tall buildings being built in the area and changing this wonderful stretch of the Thames riverside forever.”

Read the full statement in yesterday’s Sunday Times (and click on the article above to see it bigger).

Felicity Kendal: “Utterly monstrous”

Actress Felicity Kendal, who has also lived in Chelsea since the late 1960s, said:
“This tower is utterly monstrous and will wreck this part of Battersea riverside. It is a total eyesore and completely out of keeping with this area. It simply must not be allowed. If they allow this, it will mark the beginning of the end of Battersea riverside as we know – and love – it.  It will open up a free for all for other developers to build towers along the river. Before long it will become another Vauxhall.
These developers don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. They are just in it for the money. If the Inspector goes against the will of everyone – the people and the council – and allows this tower it will be a travesty. It will be a defeat for democracy and basic common sense.”

Ben Coleman (Labour MP for Chelsea and Fulham)

“The development would result in an unattractive tall tower on a sensitive part of the riverfront which would significantly harm the vistas of local residents, including those in Chelsea. 
I’m aware that my concerns are shared by colleagues in Wandsworth. The proposal is in contravention of Wandsworth Council’s Local Plan, being in an area where tall buildings are not supported and exceeding the height of developments granted on a riverside site.
I would also expect a development of this size to show more ambition for genuinely affordable housing. London does not need more homes for overseas investors as opposed to local people.”

This article was originally published on The Chelsea Citizen and edited for CJI.

The Chelsea Citizen is a dynamic hyper-local online news site for the much-loved and uniquely intriguing neighbourhood of London’s Chelsea. It focuses on the SW3 & SW10 post codes, but it also covers important stories and events in the neighbouring areas of Kensington, Battersea and Fulham and even beyond. The newspaper’s content is available online for free. It reports great local stories and work closely with the communities, RBKC, cultural organisations and businesses. The Citizen is also a campaigning newspaper and a force for good.