Good News!
Our big gasholder has been granted Grade II listed status. The gasholder is an important part of the Oval and Kennington Development Area (OAKDA), for which Lambeth Council and Berkeley Homes are currently working up the development masterplan.
This is what the BBC News website says:
The Victorian gasholder that looms over the Oval cricket ground in south London has been granted Grade II status.
The wrought-iron structure in Kennington was the largest gasholder in the world when it was built in 1847.
Gasholder No. 1 was rebuilt in 1877-79, just before the first Test match in England was played at the Oval in 1880.
The historical, architectural and technical background of the gasholder and its importance to the landscape led to it being granted protected status.
‘Iconic backdrop’
Emily Gee, head of designation at government heritage agency Historic England, which recommended the structure for listing, said it marked an important moment in gasholder technology.
“We consider our industrial heritage very carefully, and must be rigorous when assessing these once ubiquitous, now redundant, holders for listing.
“It is unlikely that many more will be listed, but we are delighted that this special one is now listed at Grade II,” she added.