David Cameron is not the first Tory leader to perform a major launch in Battersea Power Station to a fanfare of hype and superficial hope. Here is Margaret Thatcher launching a planned theme park which was to be housed in the former power station.
On 6th June 1988 PM Margaret Thatcher fired a laser gun to signal the start of the John Broome theme park which he claimed would be opened on May 21st 1990 at 2:30pm. The site is still derelict over 30 20 years later.
Here is the Battersea Power Station Community Group on events surrounding that particular attempt to regenerate the derelict building:
“The gullible Conservative local council supported the theme park and and gave Broome planning permission in May 1986. They ignored the evidence from Battersea Power Station Community Group that traffic would make the roads impassable. The claim that 4,000 new jobs would be created was a 10 fold exaggeration and that £35 million was not enough to pay for the extravagant proposal.
After securing finance, John Broome purchased the site in 1987 for £1.5 million and work started. However, costs quickly escalated, reaching £230 million by January 1989. Work stopped in March 1989 leaving the Power Station in its present semi-derelict and exposed state. Since that date it has languished without a roof, it’s steel work exposed to the elements and it’s foundations prone to flooding.”
So launches by Tory leaders in Battersea Power Station seem like a good idea at the time. They tend to have impeccable PR. But costs soon escalate, the foundations decay, and the whole edifice is left in a state of dereliction. Are you getting the subtle symbolism?
April 13th, 2010 at 10:41
Didnt you mean ‘over 20 years later’?
April 13th, 2010 at 12:54
30 years later?
April 13th, 2010 at 14:12
Still derelict over 30 years later?
Agreed that it’s certainly a long time since that Thatcher launch, but her optimism that day was about as way off as your maths is today….
April 13th, 2010 at 15:00
The sub-editor has been dealt with. 30 is now 20…..
April 14th, 2010 at 13:18
Couldn’t agree more. Bizarre choice, and I put forward more reasons for it here http://zerochampion.building.co.uk/2010/04/13/the-tory-battersea-power-station-folly/