4 BATTERSEA POWER STATION, LONDON Gordon Adams, Head of Planning for the Battersea Power Station project is an Australian who has now become embedded in London’s culture. Gordon outlined the various attempts to redevelop the site after the power station was decommissioned in 1983. After many failed attempts a consortium of Malaysian companies bought the site in 2012 and established the Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC). A new masterplan was developed that incorporated 4,239 residential homes, 636 affordable homes, 1,35 million square feet of retail, food and leisure facilities, 1.65 million square feet of office space, a hotel, a theatre, a health centre, cinemas and 19.2 acres of open space. The most important connection to the site was the extension of the Northern Underground Line to the site which was only viable when the size of the project reached a critical mass. The extension was partly funded by a developer contribution of around 400 million pounds and contributions from business rates. The project has attracted some top architects with Norman Foster and Frank Gehry involved in the design of apartment buildings as well as high profile tenants such as Apple choosing the site as its London HQ. The project has now had a ripple effect back to an even larger urban renewal area with the establishment of the Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area (VNEB OA) and this is leading to wider urban planning about green corridors and new development areas. The Battersea project has received great political support from two local councils and the Greater London Authority and local communities are very much engaged in the evolution of the project with a particular focus on new job opportunities. There is even a Battersea Power Station Community Choir.