How many carbuncles?

Published: 24th June, 2011

• ISLINGTON Council’s stealthy move to put a 22,457-gallon hot water tank in the middle of residential Finsbury may backfire (Mini-power station go-ahead ‘a stitch-up’, June 17).

They’ve promised to put them all over the borough. In Highbury Fields, Elthorne Park, Newington Green, Whittington Park, Paradise Park, Wray Crescent, Caledonian Park and Barnard Park, they would have as much appeal to nearby residents as the Bunhill ward tank has had to local people. 

In Bunhill, the process began with a low-key statutory planning advertisement in February. There being so little said about the size of the “thermal store” (tank) and “flue” (chimney), I had to ask questions, the upshot of which was that the thermal store (tank) would be 46ft high and 12ft 6in in diameter. The flue (stainless steel chimney) would be 65ft 6in by 2ft. There would be ladders on the outside. The site would take a chunk out of the nearly three-acre Finsbury Leisure Centre open space. 

The basic idea of trying to lower heat and hot water costs by generating electricity is good but the council has got its means wrong. 

The council-owned plant would serve the nearby Stafford Cripps, Wenlake, Redbrick and St Luke’s estates, Ironmonger Row Baths and Finsbury Leisure Centre. 

A gas-fired engine’s combustion would generate electricity and heat the tank’s water. Hot water would be piped underground. 

The electricity would be sold to the National Grid.

An alternative could be the Citigen electricity generating plant in Charterhouse Street. It has been supplying heat and hot water satisfactorily to the Peabody estate in Whitecross Street for 20 years or more. 

A borough-wide consultation needs to be done with sites shown for the huge water tanks and very tall chimneys. If there’s to be one in Bunhill ward, how many more wards are to be graced with these carbuncles?
Leo Chapman
Dufferin Street, EC1