Lots Road Power Station

Last updated

Lots Road Power Station
Lots.road.power.station.london.arp.jpg
Lots Road Power Station from the River Thames
Lots Road Power Station
CountryEngland
Location Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Greater London
Coordinates 51°28′40″N0°10′53″W / 51.47785°N 0.18127°W / 51.47785; -0.18127
StatusDecommissioned
Commission date 1905
Decommission date2002
Thermal power station
Primary fuelOil
Tertiary fuel Coal
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 50 MW
External links
Commons Related media on Commons
[ edit on Wikidata]

grid reference TQ264770

Lots Road Power Station is a disused gas- and oil-fired power station (originally coal) on the River Thames at Lots Road in Chelsea, London in the south-west of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, which supplied electricity to the London Underground system. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as Fulham Power Station, a name properly applied to another former station a mile south-west along the Tideway.

Contents

History

A power station at Lots Road was originally planned by the Brompton & Piccadilly Circus Railway (B&PCR, now part of the Piccadilly line) in 1897. [1] The B&PCR was controlled by the District Railway (DR, now the District line) from 1898, and was sold in 1901 to Charles Yerkes' Metropolitan District Electric Traction Company, which built the station to provide power to the DR. The station allowed the District line trains to change from steam haulage to electric. At around the same time the Metropolitan Railway built its power station at Neasden.

Lots Road Power station in a poster from 1910 Thomas Robert Way00.jpg
Lots Road Power station in a poster from 1910

The station was built end-on to the Thames, on the north bank of the tidal Chelsea Creek. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in December 1904, the station becoming operational on 1 February 1905. [2] [3] The station burned 700 tonnes of coal a day and had a generating capacity of 50,000 kW. [4] At the time it was claimed to be the largest power station ever built, and it eventually powered most of the railways and tramways in the Underground Group.

The station was re-equipped and improved several times. During the early 1920s a sump and hopper system for more efficient fuel handling was installed. It was designed by The Underfeed Stoker Company and constructed under their stewardship by Peter Lind & Company, who still trade in London today. The modernisation undertaken in the 1960s converted the station from 33+1⁄3 Hz to 50 Hz generation and from coal burning to heavy fuel oil. The number of chimneys was reduced from the original four to two. Between 1974 and 1977, with the discovery of natural gas in the North Sea, the boilers were converted to burn gas, with the option of oil firing if required. The station later worked in conjunction with the ex-London County Council Tramways power station at Greenwich to supply the London Underground network.

Lots Road Power Station by Herbert C. Rose (1890-1937). Oil on canvas. Adnan Ege Kutay Collection, USA. Herbert C. Rose, Lots Road Power Station, London.jpg
Lots Road Power Station by Herbert C. Rose (1890–1937). Oil on canvas. Adnan Ege Kutay Collection, USA.

The station played a part in the birth of commercial radio in the UK. When the first two radio stations, LBC and Capital Radio, opened in October 1973, the site for their medium wave transmitters was not complete. As a result, a temporary 'Tee' antenna was strung up between the two chimneys (transmitting LBC on 417 m (719 kHz), and Capital Radio on 539 m (557 kHz)), until the permanent site at Saffron Green was ready in 1975. From 1979 the site was used again, on 720 kHz (for a low power MW relay of BBC Radio 4's LW service) which was in use until 2001 when the radio transmitter was moved to Crystal Palace. Additionally, there were broadcasts of BBC CARFAX experimental traffic information on 526.5 kHz, 1979–1981, and Spectrum Radio on 558 kHz, 1990-2001. [5]

In July 1992, [6] it was decided not to re-equip Lots Road again; rather it was to continue to operate only until the machinery's life was expired. On 21 October 2002, Transport Minister John Spellar switched off the turbines, ending 97 years of electricity generation. [7] [8] [9] Since 2002, all power for the London Underground has been supplied from the National Grid (except that Greenwich Power Station is kept on standby, in case of National Grid failure). [10] [11]

Redevelopment

In 1999, London Transport sold the power station site to Circadian for £34 million. [7] Circadian wished to convert the power station into shops, restaurants and apartments, and to construct additional buildings, including two skyscrapers, on the adjoining vacant land. The scheme was delayed because Kensington & Chelsea Council refused planning permission for one of the two towers. The other, South Tower, the taller, was granted permission by Hammersmith & Fulham Council, but the developer was unwilling to proceed without permission for both. On 30 January 2006 the Secretary of State, considering especially views of the Planning Inspector, granted planning permission for the development. [12] In 2007 the developer hoped to complete the scheme by 2013, [13] but it was delayed by the economic downturn.

On 13 September 2010, Thames Water announced that they would be building the Thames Tideway super sewer. One of the preferred accesses, Cremorne Wharf Foreshore, adjoins but which will end a nearby combined sewer overflow. The consultation period ended in Autumn 2010. [14]

On 26 September 2013, developer Hutchison Whampoa Properties broke ground on the eight-acre site, rebranding it as "Chelsea Waterfront", with Mayor of London Boris Johnson speaking at the ceremony: "The £1 billion scheme will be the biggest riverside development on the north bank [of the Thames] for over 100 years, and will create 706 homes."[ citation needed ]

New planning and design details were conceived between 2010 and 2012, with construction for the first phase (100 apartments) completed by 2016, and phase two, which included the power station itself, completed by 2018. [15]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District line</span> London Underground line

The District line is a London Underground line running from Upminster in the east and Edgware Road in the west to Earl's Court in west London, where it splits into multiple branches. One branch runs to Wimbledon in south-west London and a short branch, with a limited service, only runs for one stop to Kensington (Olympia). The main route continues west from Earl's Court to Turnham Green after which it divides again into two western branches, to Richmond and Ealing Broadway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piccadilly line</span> London Underground line

The Piccadilly line is a deep-level London Underground line running from the north to the west of London. It has two branches, which split at Acton Town, and serves 53 stations. The line serves Heathrow Airport, and some of its stations are near tourist attractions such as Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace. The District and Metropolitan lines share some sections of track with the Piccadilly line. Printed in dark blue on the Tube map, it is the sixth-busiest line on the Underground network, with nearly 218 million passenger journeys in 2019.

Subterranean London refers to a number of subterranean structures that lie beneath London. The city has been occupied by humans for two millennia. Over time, the capital has acquired a vast number of these structures and spaces, often as a result of war and conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embankment tube station</span> London Underground station

Embankment is a London Underground station in the City of Westminster, known by various names during its history. It is served by the Bakerloo, Circle, District and Northern lines. On the Bakerloo line and the Charing Cross branch of the Northern line, the station is between Charing Cross and Waterloo stations. On the Circle and District lines, it is between Westminster and Temple stations. It is located in Travelcard Zone 1. The station has two entrances, one on Victoria Embankment and the other on Villiers Street. The station is adjacent to Victoria Embankment Gardens and is close to Charing Cross station, Embankment Pier, Hungerford Bridge, Cleopatra's Needle, the Royal Air Force Memorial, the Savoy Chapel and Savoy Hotel and the Playhouse and New Players Theatres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldwych tube station</span> London Underground station, 1907–1994

Aldwych is a closed station on the London Underground, located in the City of Westminster in Central London. It was opened in 1907 with the name Strand, after the street on which it is located. It was the terminus of the short Piccadilly line branch from Holborn that was a relic of the merger of two railway schemes. The station building is close to the Strand's junction with Surrey Street, near Aldwych. During its lifetime, the branch was the subject of a number of unrealised extension proposals that would have seen the tunnels through the station extended southwards, usually to Waterloo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kensington tube station</span> London Underground station

South Kensington is a London Underground station in the district of South Kensington, south west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines it is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly line between Gloucester Road and Knightsbridge. It is in Travelcard Zone 1. The main station entrance is located at the junction of Old Brompton Road (A3218), Thurloe Place, Harrington Road, Onslow Place and Pelham Street. Subsidiary entrances are located in Exhibition Road giving access by pedestrian tunnel to the Natural History, Science and Victoria and Albert Museums. Also close by are the Royal Albert Hall, Imperial College London, the Royal College of Music, the London branch of the Goethe-Institut and the Ismaili Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester Road tube station</span> London Underground station

Gloucester Road is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. The station entrance is located close to the junction of Gloucester Road and Cromwell Road. Close by are the Cromwell Hospital and Baden-Powell House.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansion House tube station</span> London Underground station

Mansion House is a London Underground station in the City of London which takes its name from Mansion House, the residence of the Lord Mayor of London. It opened in 1871 as the eastern terminus of the Metropolitan District Railway. Today, Mansion House is served by the Circle and District lines. It is between Blackfriars and Cannon Street stations and it is in fare zone 1. The station is located at the junction of Queen Victoria Street and Cannon Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sloane Square tube station</span> London Underground station

Sloane Square is a London Underground station in Chelsea, serving Sloane Square. It is served by the District and Circle lines, between South Kensington and Victoria stations and is in Travelcard Zone 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">District Railway</span> Former underground railway in London (1868–1933)

The Metropolitan District Railway, also known as the District Railway, was a passenger railway that served London, England, from 1868 to 1933. Established in 1864 to complete an "inner circle" of lines connecting railway termini in London, the first part of the line opened using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives. The Metropolitan Railway operated all services until the District Railway introduced its own trains in 1871. The railway was soon extended westwards through Earl's Court to Fulham, Richmond, Ealing and Hounslow. After completing the inner circle and reaching Whitechapel in 1884, it was extended to Upminster in Essex in 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central London Railway</span> Underground railway company in London

The Central London Railway (CLR), also known as the Twopenny Tube, was a deep-level, underground "tube" railway that opened in London in 1900. The CLR's tunnels and stations form the central section of what became London Underground's Central line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the London Underground</span>

The history of the London Underground began in the 19th century with the construction of the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway. The Metropolitan Railway, which opened in 1863 using gas-lit wooden carriages hauled by steam locomotives, worked with the District Railway to complete London's Circle line in 1884. Both railways expanded, the Metropolitan eventually extending as far as Verney Junction in Buckinghamshire, more than 50 miles (80 km) from Baker Street and the centre of London. The first deep-level tube line, the City and South London Railway, opened in 1890 with electric trains. This was followed by the Waterloo & City Railway in 1898, the Central London Railway in 1900, and the Great Northern and City Railway in 1904. The Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) was established in 1902 to fund the electrification of the District Railway and to complete and operate three tube lines, the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway, the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway and the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway, which opened during 1906–1907. By 1907, the District and Metropolitan Railways had electrified the underground sections of their lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Counter's Creek</span> Culverted stream in west London

Counter's Creek, ending in Chelsea Creek, the lowest part of which still exists, was a stream that flowed from Kensal Green, by North Kensington and flowed south into the River Thames on the Tideway at Sands End, Fulham. Its remaining open watercourse is the quay of Chelsea Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cremorne Gardens, London</span>

Cremorne Gardens were popular pleasure gardens by the side of the River Thames in Chelsea, London. They lay between Chelsea Harbour and the end of the King's Road and flourished between 1845 and 1877; today only a vestige survives, on the river at the southern end of Cheyne Walk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Road Chelsea railway station</span> Proposed Crossrail 2 stop

King's Road Chelsea railway station is a proposed station on Crossrail 2, a planned underground railway line through London in the United Kingdom. If constructed, the station would serve the King's Road area of Chelsea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway</span> Underground railway company in London

The Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (GNP&BR), also known as the Piccadilly tube, was a railway company established in 1902 that constructed a deep-level underground "tube" railway in London, England. The GNP&BR was formed through a merger of two older companies, the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway (B&PCR) and the Great Northern and Strand Railway (GN&SR). It also incorporated part of a tube route planned by a third company, the District Railway (DR). The combined company was a subsidiary of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL).

The transport system now known as the London Underground began in 1863 with the Metropolitan Railway, the world's first underground railway. Over the next forty years, the early sub-surface lines reached out from the urban centre of the capital into the surrounding rural margins, leading to the development of new commuter suburbs. At the turn of the nineteenth century, new technology—including electric locomotives and improvements to the tunnelling shield—enabled new companies to construct a series of "tube" lines deeper underground. Initially rivals, the tube railway companies began to co-operate in advertising and through shared branding, eventually consolidating under the single ownership of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL), with lines stretching across London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Underground Electric Railways Company of London</span> Holding company for underground railways and bus operators in London

The Underground Electric Railways Company of London, Limited (UERL), known operationally as the Underground for much of its existence, was established in 1902. It was the holding company for the three deep-level "tube" underground railway lines opened in London during 1906 and 1907: the Baker Street and Waterloo Railway, the Charing Cross, Euston and Hampstead Railway and the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway. It was also the parent company from 1902 of the District Railway, which it electrified between 1903 and 1905. The UERL is a precursor of today's London Underground; its three tube lines form the central sections of today's Bakerloo, Northern and Piccadilly lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Commission on Metropolitan Railway Termini</span> Former royal commission of the United Kingdom

The Royal Commission to Investigate the Various Projects for Establishing Railway Termini Within or in the Immediate Vicinity of the Metropolis was a royal commission established in 1846 with a remit to review and report on railway termini in London.

References

  1. ↑ Badsey-Ellis, Antony (2005). London's Lost Tube Schemes. Capital Transport. p. 71. ISBN   978-1-85414-293-1.
  2. ↑ Horne, Mike (2006). The District Line. Capital Transport. p. 40. ISBN   978-1-85414-292-4.
  3. ↑ Day, John R; Reed, John (2010) [1963]. The Story of London's Underground (11th ed.). Capital Transport. p. 64. ISBN   978-1-85414-341-9.
  4. ↑ "Museum of London | free museums in London | things to do in London | London history".
  5. ↑ "Lots Road radio broadcasts between 1973 and 2001, antennas and propagation" . Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  6. ↑ "Research Guide No 30: Lots Road and Greenwich Power Stations" (PDF). Transport for London. 9 September 2015. p. 4. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Farewell Lots Road, the future is with the Grid". The Tube. 22 October 2002. Archived from the original on 20 June 2003. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Lots Road is switched off Rail issue 447 30 October 2002 page 19
  9. ↑ "Lots Road Power Station: Heritage Statement" (PDF). Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea . Formation Architects. 12 July 2013. p. 3. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  10. ↑ Day, John R; Reed, John (2010) [1963]. The Story of London's Underground (11th ed.). Capital Transport. p. 212. ISBN   978-1-85414-341-9.
  11. ↑ "Mayor & TfL launch low carbon future for Greenwich Power Station". Mayor of London. 8 January 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 2 October 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. ↑ "Hutchison Whampoa Limited - Europe - Property Development". Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 14 November 2007.
  14. ↑ "Cremorne Wharf Foreshore" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  15. ↑ "The Other Power Station: Lots Road gets £1bn makeover • PrimeResi". 26 September 2013.
Preceded by Largest Power Station in the UK
1905–1916		Succeeded by
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.