Our Story

The Keep Kensal Green campaign was launched in January 2023 by local residents to protest about environmental and public health concerns posed by Ballymore’s "Project Flourish", a large scale development of up to 31 storey tower blocks on former toxic gasworks site, at Sainsbury's Ladbroke Grove. The application was approved by Kensington and Chelsea Planning department in November 2025 despite 10,000 petition signatures, 1800 objections and oral representations about loss of sunlight, lack of infrastructure, reduced social housing, transport chaos, contamination and environmental pollution.

Toxic Gasworks

Kensal gasworks is one of the most historically toxic gasworks sites in London. It's previous use as a 19th century coke and gas plant has left widespread contamination from legacy chemicals such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, asbestos, cyanide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Many of these chemicals give off a foul odor which can linger in people's homes for months. When contaminated soil is disturbed toxic gas and dust is released into the atmosphere with devastating environmental and health impacts.

Public Health Risks

Why This Issue Matters

The issue of toxic gasworks was highlighted by a report in the Guardian in 2021, when Dr Ian Mudway of Imperial College set up clinical trials to investigate health impacts on residents in Southall. Similar reports followed from gasworks sites in Lea Bridge, Mitcham, Bath, Liverpool and Devon. Their harrowing testimonies show the human cost of ignoring contamination risks.   

Our Legal Case

This proposed legal action is about protecting the environment and safeguarding our communities and the health of our children. We want to challenge any potential disregard for human health and any potential disregard for safety protocols for the remediation of contaminated land. We want to ensure that RBKC (the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea) Planning Department  gives sufficient consideration to the need to keep our community safe, and puts the needs of its residents above profit.

We have instructed Bindmans solicitors to advise on a potential legal challenge if RBKC proceeds with granting planning permission to Project Flourish after the GLA's 2nd stage review. The eminent David Wolfe KC has agreed to take on our case.

"The right to breathe clean air is a Human Rights Issue "    

What We’re Trying to Achieve

• Independent air quality monitoring       
• Mandatory use of safe remediation methods       
• A legal precedent to protect other communities     
• Environmental Justice and Health Safeguards
• Safe sustainable affordable housing for local people

A successful outcome will benefit the lives of thousands of Londoners creating a safer future for all communities affected by toxic gasworks developments.

You can view our video here.

How You Can Help

We urgently need to raise £20,000 to pay for legal fees to mount a challenge to stop this development Your support will fund legal action to hold developers and authorities accountable to ensure safer redevelopment practices across the UK. Every contribution brings us a step closer to achieving our goal,.

Thank you for your support