An unorthodox, and decidedly Floridian central feature, under attention from the start for Ruthrough Triangle, a mixed-use remodeling program planned for South London, cancelled through developer Avanton following opposition from local residents, council members and wildlife activists.
The detail in question, a gigantic alligator park closed, would have given Gasholder No a new life.13, one of London’s most giant Victorian fuel containers at the Site of the Old Kent Road fuel plant.have been stored and refitted to serve new uses – public green spaces and luxury apartments among them – in recent years.This would have been the first to involve giant predatory reptiles.
According to the plan, the existing structure of the gasholder, classified as Grade II, located in the middle of a larger planned public park, would have been lined with glass panels and remodeled on a circular terrace, a “unique ecological habitat” through Avanton, with a water frame of 65 feet deep and an educational center.The greenhouse would have housed an unknown number of alligators and would have been open to visitors year-round, a small sample of old Florida across the road at Southwark, so to speak.While alligator habitat would have been fully and safely contained in the greenhouse, a cheeky/terrifying interpretation of the proposed adaptive reuse allocation showed a specimen the size of a crawl silently walking out of the greenhouse along one of the park’s trails.
“The proposed alligator park was designed with several other options, adding a network park as well as a lido with aquatic elements.After consultation with the council and the local network, the concept of the alligator park has been particularly rejected, so it has been set aside,” an Avanton spokesman told Construction News in a statement.
Updated reuse plans for the gasholder are expected to be published next year and, although alligators are banned in this corner of south-east London, the UK is not completely devoid of reptile attractions.
In an email shared with AN, Katheryn Wise, Wildlife Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection, expressed gratitude that Avanton had nevertheless made the decision to abandon the idea, which probably never had gone beyond the conceptual stage:
“We are pleased to be informed that plans for an alligator park along with a real London property progression have been abandoned due to the refusal of the council, the local network and World Animal Protection.Alligators are wild animals and are in their herbal surroundings, not living in an urban environment animated as a component of a novel advertising company.We urge the developer to think twice on the long term before creating plans to accompany wildlife exploitation”.
Aside from the now-rejected crocodile attraction, North Avanton’s $300 million reprogree program is still expected to come with 1,152 housing sets (40% of which are reserved at a price), extensive parks and amenities.recreation and advertising spaces spread over approximately 3.5 acres.The estimated final touch date for pedestrian-centered progression is the end of 2023.