Green Light for Gasholder Restoration Scheme
Landmark in King's Road Park to be repurposed as centrepiece of public space
A visualisation of the restored gasholder. Picture: Berkeley Group
February 16, 2026
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has approved plans to restore and repurpose the Grade II*-listed Gasholder No.2 at King’s Road Park — securing the future of the world’s oldest surviving gasholder and creating a striking new public landmark.
The decision paves the way for the 19th-century structure to be carefully dismantled, refurbished and re-erected at the heart of the new King’s Road Park development in Fulham, where it will form the centrepiece of a major new public space.
Built between 1829 and 1830, Gasholder No.2 is recognised as the oldest surviving gasholder anywhere in the world. Designed by John Kirkham and Samuel Clegg — the latter widely regarded as the world’s first gas engineer — the structure’s cast-iron tripod frame is the only remaining example of its kind.
The gasholder once formed part of the Fulham gasworks, a vast industrial site that dominated the area for more than a century. Surveys have confirmed that the structure is now in poor condition, suffering from severe corrosion, and is currently on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register.
The approved plans will see the gasholder dismantled, with salvageable components restored off-site before being reinstated within a newly landscaped park. Key architectural elements, including the distinctive tripod standards and crown truss, will be preserved and displayed in a way that allows the public to walk through and experience the engineering up close for the first time.
The restored gasholder will sit at the centre of King’s Road Park, a major brownfield regeneration project led by St William, part of the Berkeley Group. The development is transforming the former gasworks into a mixed-use neighbourhood with around 1,800 flats, six acres of public open space and 70,000 sq ft of commercial and community facilities.
The new park will feature seating, planting, mature trees and a circular mirror-pool water feature beneath the raised gasholder frame. Walkways will cross the water to a central seating area, creating a calm and contemplative space suitable for small public events.
Visualisation of how King's Road Park might look
Architectural paint analysis has revealed the gasholder’s earliest colour scheme — a deep red ochre — which will be reinstated on the restored tripod standards. Where possible, original stone plinths will also be retained.
Historic England, the Greater London Industrial Archaeology Society (GLIAS) and the Hammersmith & Fulham Historic Buildings Group all supported the proposals.
Tom Foxall, Regional Director at Historic England, said the plans would secure the long-term future of a unique piece of Georgian engineering.
“This thoughtful proposal will secure the long-term future of this unique piece of pioneering Georgian engineering and allow its removal from our Heritage at Risk Register,” he said. “For the first time in its history, the public will be able to experience the gasholder's intricate wrought-iron truss structure as part of an exciting new public space.”
Dean Summers, Divisional Managing Director at St James and St William, said the restoration was central to the vision for King’s Road Park.
“Reviving this beautiful listed gasholder is central to the vision for King’s Road Park and we’re delighted to have received approval from Hammersmith & Fulham Council,” he said. “The restored structure will be a fantastic local landmark and we are extremely proud to celebrate and preserve this fascinating piece of industrial history.”
The original gasholder was the oldest in the world
He also thanked Historic England for its “proactive and collaborative support” throughout the application process.
Approval is subject to detailed conditions and a legal agreement covering dismantling, storage, reassembly, public access, interpretation and long-term maintenance. Once reinstated, the gasholder will define the identity of the new neighbourhood and mark the 200th anniversary of its construction.
The planning application can be viewed on the council’s website under reference 2023/03110/FUL.
You can find out more about the development and the its public walkways and open spaces here.
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