Repair work begins on London icon

Battersea Power Station has been derelict since 1982

Essential repair work on Battersea Power Station is expected to begin within the next two months.

Last November, planning permission was granted for £90m regeneration plans including flats and a leisure complex and work was due to begin in January.

But the site was subsequently sold to Treasury Holdings, which is now drafting new masterplans.

A spokesman for the Dublin-based company said the overall plan for the listed power station was still unclear.

"There will be a new masterplan," said a spokesman.

"But one has to remember it's a 38-acre site and the power station takes up just two or three acres."

'Regular meetings'

English Heritage had its first meeting with the new owners last week.

An English Heritage spokeswoman said: "At that meeting representatives of Treasury Holdings assured us of their commitment to repair, refurbish and bring the site back into beneficial use.

"They are currently in the process of appointing a new masterplanning team for the whole site and hope to start essential repair works to the grade-II listed power station within the next two months."

She added: "We now anticipate regular meetings with Treasury Holdings to ensure that any new scheme is implemented without delay."

Treasury Holdings is controlled by Real Estate Opportunities, which bought the site last November for £400m.