Southall Gas Works

Southall Gas Works is a site of around 88 acres (36 ha) in Southall, west London, formerly occupied by a plant for the manufacture of town gas. Today a much reduced site is used for the pressure reduction and storage of natural gas, whilst the remainder is currently being redeveloped for mixed-use by Berkeley Group.

Southall Gas Works in 1973

Location

The site is roughly triangular, between a railway, a canal and residential development. It lies along the south bank of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Union Canal, close to its junction with the main line of the canal to the Thames at Brentford. It is situated on the north side of the Great Western Main Line and forthcoming Elizabeth Line between Southall and Hayes stations, close to the junction with the branch line which originally ran to Brentford Dock. Across the canal is the recently established Minet Country Park.

History
Looking south from the canal towpath to Southall Gas Works, 1973

The gas works was originally constructed by the Brentford Gas Company, opening in 1869. It was required to meet rapidly increasing demand in Middlesex, which outstripped the capacity of the company's original works on the Thames at Brentford.

The gas works was originally established at the western end of the full site, and progressively expanded to the east over sites originally used for brickyards and chemical works. It initially consisted of a retort house and a 480,000 cubic feet (14,000 m3) gas holder. In 1881 a second retort house was built and in 1885 an ammonium sulphate plant.

In 1878 no. 2 holder was built with a capacity of 1,130,000 cubic feet (32,000 m3). In 1885 a Hurd holder was built with a capacity of 2,100,000 cubic feet (59,000 m3). In 1892 holder no. 4 was erected, to take 3,950,000 cubic feet (112,000 m3) of gas. In 1899 a carburetted water gas (CWG) plant was added with a capacity of 3,000,000 cubic feet (85,000 m3) per day, and in 1903 another retort house with 200 retorts.

During World War 1 chemical plants were constructed to produce oil gas tar, coal tar and crude benzole. In 1916 the CWG capacity was increased, and in 1920 Blue Water Gas plant was added.

In 1926 the Brentford Gas Company was taken over by the Gas Light and Coke Company (GLCC). In the early 1930s a 7,500,000 cubic feet (210,000 m3) waterless holder was constructed.[1] This holder, which is over 300 feet high, is now demolished.

By 1935 the chemical works had closed and had been replaced by a smaller works further east. Whilst not as large as the GLCC's Beckton Products Works, this made a significant contribution to the Company’s production, particularly of creosote and road tar. The works was situated on the opposite side of London to Beckton, which facilitated the company’s road tar spraying operations on that side of the metropolis. Southall Products Works continued to manufacture ammonium sulphate until 1946.[2]

Following nationalisation of the gas industry in 1949 the plant came under the control of the North Thames Gas Board. Construction of oil gasification plant began and by 1951 up to 300,000 cubic feet (8,500 m3) of gas a day was being produced in this way, primarily at times of peak demand.

In 1953-4 a further 12,000,000 cubic feet (340,000 m3) CWG plant was built on the site of the original retort house from the 1860s, together with tower purifiers.

In the early 1960s plant was installed at Southall to make town gas from a feedstock of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) obtained from Fawley refinery via a 70-mile pipeline. The first major oil storage tank, of 544,000 imperial gallons (2,470,000 l), was installed in 1960. In 1963, the catalytic reforming plant had a production capacity of 60,000,000 cubic feet (1,700,000 m3) per day. Catalytic rich gas plant was installed in 1966 with a capacity of 30,000,000 cubic feet (850,000 m3) per day.

The Products Works ceased distilling tar and was closed down in 1968. With the move to North Sea gas the gas works closed in 1973, leaving gas distribution and storage as the main on site functions.[1] The site passed into the hands of British Gas Plc in 1973 and subsequently to National Grid plc.

At the time of a site survey in connection with the proposed biofuel power station in 2007 three of the site's five gas holders (Nos 3 to 5) remained in use, one (No 1 from the 1860s) was disused and one (No 2 from 1878) had been demolished.

Parts of the site were used as long-stay parking for Heathrow Airport during the early 21st century.

Film set

The gasworks was used as a space centre fuelling area for Doctor Who in 1970.[3] The site was used in an episode of The Sweeney in 1975 and in spin-off film Sweeney! in 1977.[4]

It was twice used in Blake's 7, and once in Secret Army.

Redevelopment

Parts of the site remain in use for gas pressure reduction and storage. In 2010 planning permission was approved by the then Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, for a mixed-use development of 3750 homes, leisure, health and education buildings, over-ruling an earlier refusal by the local authority. This included provision for over 200,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of commercial space, including a cinema. [5] A proposal for a biofuel power station was turned down in 2011.[6] Shortly afterward, Berkeley Group entered into an agreement with National Grid to purchase the site, which formed part of the Mayor of London's first "Strategic Housing Zone". In 2016, a Section 73 application to alter the original masterplan permission was approved by Ealing Borough Council.[7] The site was subsequently named Southall Waterside. The revised masterplan allocated 5.6 hectares of the site to landscaped public gardens, winning various planning and urban design awards.[8]

Remediation of the soil on site commenced shortly after the site was sold, as well as the negotiation of compulsory purchase orders necessary to provide access and placemaking. Construction of the first phase of development began in 2016, with the first completions of affordable dwellings in early 2019.

After work began to remediate or clean the soil in an open-air soil hospital in 2017, some local residents alleged that the work was causing an unpleasant odour and significant air pollution, including the emission of benzene. Claims that levels of benzene in air samples were a 'threat to health' from environmental health scientist Roy Harrison were published by the BBC in January 2020.[9] However, Public Health England asserted that the figures showed only a 'minimal' risk to health. A local campaign group is preparing a legal case against the developer and calling for an investigation into the health impact of the development.

See also

References
  1. White Green Young Environmental (2007). "Blue NG Combined Heat & Intelligent Power Plant Southall, Environmental Statement, Vol 2 Appendix 7.1: Ground Conditions Assessment & Remediation Strategy Statement" (PDF). London Borough of Ealing. Retrieved 8 Aug 2011.
  2. "Beckton Products Works 1879 - 1970". Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society. Retrieved 9 Aug 2011.
  3. "Southall Gas Works at Doctor Who Locations". Retrieved 8 Aug 2011.
  4. "Sweeney locations at The TV Lounge". Retrieved 8 Aug 2011.
  5. Roger Milne (31 March 2010). "London mayor approves Southall gas works scheme". Planning Portal. Retrieved 9 Aug 2011.
  6. "Planning permission refused at appeal for Blue NG Southall biofuel power station". Retrieved 9 Aug 2011.
  7. "Southall Gas Works site". Retrieved 23 Jan 2020.
  8. "Southall Waterside: London, UK". Retrieved 23 Jan 2020.
  9. "Substances released at Southall site are 'threat to health'". Retrieved 23 Jan 2020.

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