Block of Flats on Power Station site

[smurfchops]

A block of flats is being built near us on the river at Kingston on Thames, on an old Power Station, which was fuelled by coal, there were two large chimneys that were taken down. It seems there must still be power there, as it has been encased in concrete and steel. What would fuel this power station, for it to be encased so securely now? Apparently it is the first one in the country being built like this. Would it be safe to buy one of these flats?

[rojash]

Where did you get the information that it's encased in concrete and steel?

According to Wikipedia power generation ceased in 1980., and it was subsequently demolished. The chimneys were finally demolished in 1994.

According to this http://www.kingston.gov.uk/addendum_to_toolkit_report.pdf

there's a small substation on one part of the site. It also says "The site is enclosed by a mix of concrete panel walls, brick walls and steel fencing." That's simply describing the boundaries of the site. "Enclosed by" has a very different meaning from "encased in"

[Teddio]

The main hazards from decommissioning old coal-fired power stations are asbestos and nasty chemicals called PCBs from the transformers. Stringent safeguards should ensure that the site is now perfectly safe.

[FredPuli43]

We have stringent laws and regulations about polluted sites. I bought a house in Cambridge which had been built on the site of a former railway marshalling yard. I was surprised to be furnished, apparently under some legislative requirement, with a great wodge of reports concerning the clearance of the site and the removal of pollutants and current readings taken to show no hazard remained. One of them, mysteriously, was about radioactivity. That report showed that there were signs of radioactivity, above normal levels but below hazardous ones. The source appeared to be a flour mill (!) but was probably one, or more, of the university's many sites nearby where radioactive materials are used.

Anyway, your flats will be safe.

[David H]

I've never seen any activity on that power station and if it's the one by Sainsburys I can't see any room for flats if any of it was left behind. It's a bit of a maze round there and the main gas holders have been derelict for decades but so has the power station.

[smurfchops]

Its Canbury Park Gardens - there are two blocks being built, one on the river and the one I asked about is the block just behind it.