Mr Moffat has created an investment document in an attempt to attract investors to back him with a promised return of nearly SEVEN times over five years. It is thought that he is looking to raise as much as £35m – and wants the investment by 10th June.

The Citizen has gained exclusive access to the new prospectus, which has been drafted under a new company owned by Mr Moffat and his wife Charlotte called River Living London (RLL). The document lays out its grand plans to make a fortune by bringing in 20 new mega “vessels” to rent for more than £180,000 per year. 

Controversial former CYBC owner Andrew Moffat          ©Rob McGibbon/TCC

These 20 would be in addition to the seven big boats Mr Moffat had already installed during his tenure as the owner of the Chelsea Yacht & Boat Company (CYBC) – a business that is still trading and controls the historic and much-loved Chelsea Reach marina on Cheyne Walk.

For several years, the existing mega boats have generated a huge backlash from locals and a planning clash with RBKC council. The exuberant new pitch does not explain what would happen to the current houseboat owners to make space for so many new super boats. 

The scheme and its profit projections have been dismissed by experts with knowledge of the Chelsea houseboat business as a “work of pure fiction” and locals are furious that Mr Moffat is determined to remain in control of the houseboats, despite administrators FRP Advisory being dramatically called in on 3rd November last year.

“This new plan is breathtakingly brazen and is in total fantasy land,” one insider told The Citizen. “He is basically trying to shed all the debts he racked up during a nightmare ten years, so he can start all over again. And he is telling investors that he and his team, are the ones who can make it work. The man is not taking any responsibility for what has happened during the past number of years. It is all quite ridiculous.

“This is like a captain who sailed his tanker onto the rocks, asking people to buy him another boat, so he can get straight back on the water. If it wasn’t all so serious, it would be funny. Let’s pray that the administrator and the PLA (Port of London Authority) sees through it.”

Chelsea Reach ©Rob McGibbon/TCC

One long-term houseboat residents seethed: “Mr Moffat and some of his team has made life hell for us and yet he thinks it’s all fine for him to do it all over again, as if nothing had ever happened. We are spitting frogs. If he gets the chance, he will cause even more damage to our community. Surely it’s not possible that he can be given another chance?”

Ben Coleman MP, who has supported the houseboats residents in the past, said: “I’m amazed at the cheek. Just as the houseboat owners were beginning to breathe again, their former predatory landlord pops up like a bad penny. I’ll do all I can to ensure this doesn’t lead to further misery for Chelsea’s iconic houseboat community. ”

Mr Moffat’s extraordinary move comes as administrators FRP are still working to untangle the collapse of a number of companies owned by him and Mrs Moffat. 

Controversial former CYBC owners Andrew and Charlotte Moffat

Up to 32 investors were left high and dry despite the Chelsea-based couple’s promises to turn Chelsea Reach and Cadogan Pier into high-end residential marinas.

List of investors at risk from the previous houseboats venture

Now Mr Moffat is hoping to get new backing so he can run the same business all over again. It is clearly – and cynically – stated in the RLL document that one of the drivers for the next strategy is that the administrators FRP are ready to sell off both marinas cheaply – with all the previous debts wiped off the slate.  

In the opening line of his “pitch” for cash, it says that there is an opportunity to “acquire two prime Chelsea marinas at a substantial discount because the administrators are selling them purely as car parks for boats”. 

The “car parks” being referenced are the 57 moorings at Chelsea Reach and 35 at Cadogan Pier. The Citizen understands that Cadogan Pier is not currently permitted to have new houseboats under existing RBKC planning rules, or its PLA licence, which begs the question how future moorings can be part of a new business plan.

The prospectus goes on to boast that RLL has “10+ years of Chelsea marine experience” and that it will spend the first three years “stabilising the business” before “returning it to growth” in Year Four.   

The ten years of “marine experience” the document refers to represent a turbulent and devastating decade for the owners of houseboats at Chelsea Reach. Many accused CYBC and a small number of its on-site staff of creating a “poisonous environment” through sharp-elbowed practices.

Residents saw rents and moorings rates increased at extortionate levels and many long-term residents were evicted, or forced out when their licences were not renewed. Mr and Mrs Moffat also caused widespread dismay when the “mega” boats they brought in for the rental market entirely changed the cosmetic character of one stretch of Chelsea Reach. 

The workings of CYBC also put RBKC planning officers and lead members squarely in the frame for criticism after a new lease for Old Ferry Wharf was granted to Mr and Mrs Moffat in 2022, despite widespread concerns that the rights of houseboats owners were not being respected. This lease came with a special “letter of condition” that has never been released publicly.

Since the administration process began, Mr and Mrs Moffat put their London home – an impressive end of terrace mansion on one of the capital’s most famous streets – up for sale for £15.5m. The Citizen is not aware that a sale has gone through. 

The Citizen is contacting Andrew Moffat, FRP Advisory, RBKC and the PLA for comment.

Cadogan Pier houseboats           ©Rob McGibbon/TCC

©Rob McGibbon/TCC

Russell Harris KC (King’s Counsel) gave an impassioned statement last August at a meeting of Hounslow Council’s planning committee AGAINST a 42m high development known as 1 Burlington Lane by Hogarth Roundabout in Chiswick.

The Citizen makes no suggestion of any professional impropriety on behalf of Mr Harris for speaking out on this matter. Indeed, The Citizen applauds all campaigners who take a stand to champion the views of others, particularly in matters of planning.

Mr Harris is a pre-eminent planning KC who has successfully helped win consent for some of the largest and most controversial developments in recent times. As his chambers’ website proudly states, he fought for The Shard, Battersea Power Station, towers at Vauxhall, the £10bn Earl’s Court redevelopment and the scheme to build over Wimbledon Park golf course by the All England Lawn Tennis Club. He represents several Premiership football clubs and is “promoting for” a 42-storey development in Islington for Sir Norman Foster.

Most recently, Mr Harris has represented National Grid in its plans to install a 114-mile stretch of electricity pylons across the Norfolk/Suffolk border. Campaigners and Historic England argued that the pylons will damage country views, most notably of the medieval St Remigius Church in Roydon. Mr Harris told an inquiry last month that the pylons would cause “less than substantial harm” to the view of the much-loved church.

Planning Inspector Joanna Gilbert’s recent decision to dismiss Rockwell Property’s appeal to build its Battersea tower is a significant set back for the company and its legal team.

Mr Russell Harris on the opening day of the Battersea tower public inquiry Photo ©Rob McGibbon/TCC

The citation on Mr Harris’ profile page on Landmark Chambers in London is filled with glowing reports of his successes and professional portfolio. In the final section it declares: ‘He is described as “the king of complex and contentious tall building schemes in central London.”  Previous surveys describe him as having “carved out ‘a second-to-none reputation’ when dealing with major controversial schemes in London“, and as a “phenomenal advocate” who is “good on his feet on the day”.’ He has been nominated as Planning Silk of the Year on several occasions, but, sadly, has never won.

Last March, Mr Harris – a silk since 2003 – led Rockwell Property’s appeal at a public inquiry into Wandsworth Council’s refusal for it to build a 29-storey tower in Battersea. The planning application was unanimously opposed by councillors and by swathes of groups and residents, including rock stars Sir Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton.

During the public inquiry, Mr Harris spoke in defence of Rockwell’s bid. He called the tower “a tall landmark building” that is “entirely appropriate and justified for this location”. He described it as the “gateway to Wandsworth” and the “last work” of the late architect Sir Terry Farrell.

At a meeting of Hounslow Council’s planning committee on 7th August 2025, Mr Harris struck a quite different tone from the professional position he often has to take when it comes to tall buildings. He was critical of the council for granting planning consent for 1 Burlington Lane. He said that residents felt that it “destroyed” the view of St Nicholas Church as well as the “protected vista” from the south bank of the Thames.

The development will provide 132 flats is on the site currently occupied by the disused McCormack offices, which were built in 1985. There is much support for the project locally, not least from nearby businesses that are struggling to survive.

The Citizen has unearthed the filmed recording of the August planning meeting. Mr Harris was joined by Mr Simon Morgan, who was representing the St Nicholas Church.

In the video – which can be viewed on YouTube here –  Mr Harris talks eloquently of the concerns residents and groups have for the proposed development. He is also critical of the council’s procedures during the application process. He has also written critically in some detail about the council and its decision in a newsletter for the Old Chiswick Protection Society (OCPS). Mr Harris is its President.

Mr Russell Harris and Mr Simon Morgan prepare to speak at the Hounslow Council planning meeting on 7th August 2025

During a break in the public inquiry on 20th March at Wandsworth Town Hall, The Citizen asked Mr Harris if he would talk to us about a story. We made it clear that the dialogue would be “on the record”.

We convened to a seat in the hall outside the main chamber and we asked him directly about his opposition to 1 Burlington Lane. After a three minute conversation, Mr Harris abruptly ended the encounter stating that he was unaware it was “on the record” – which it clearly had been. He insisted that any comment he had made during the interview should not be directly quoted.

Mr Harris told The Citizen that he had announced his withdrawal from the campaign to stop 1 Burlington Lane at the AGM of the OCPS in December. At that meeting, he was also re-elected its President.

In February, the OCPS announced plans to seek a judicial review of Hounslow Council’s decision and a legal challenge was filed in the High Court. The case is being handled by Mr Andrew Parkinson, a lawyer in the planning department at Landmark Chambers. According to Landmark’s website, Mr Parkinson has worked with Mr Harris on the Wimbledon tennis club development.

During late March, the OCPS launched a crowdfunding campaign on Just Giving to raise £25,000 to pay for its legal costs for the high court challenge. As of today – 22nd May – the appeal had raised £17,186 from 110 supporters.

Earlier this week, The Citizen contacted Mr Harris to request a comment about the Planning Inspector’s decision as regards the Glassmill site, but has not yet received a reply.

Part of the effusive citation about Mr Harris’ work on Landmark Chambers’ website

The OCPS’s Just Giving appeal had raised £17,1861 from 110 donors by 21st May of its £25,000 target

The story behind the fund raising campaign

From the Landmark website, declaring that Mr harris and Mr Parkinson spoke for AETC

Architectural images of the proposed development 1 Burlington Lane overlooking Hogarth Roundabout and its flyover

Aerial view of the Hogarth Roundabout site Chiswick

Rococo has been a much-loved feature of the Chelsea scene for the past 43 years, attracting royalty and A-listers thought its doors, as well as legions of loyal locals.

The end for a business that changed the shape of luxury chocolate has been far from sweet. In recent years, Rococo had been tarnished by the unsavoury ousting of its visionary founder Chantal Coady and then by unsuccessful re-launches. She returned briefly three years ago as Creative Director, but now the company is administration for the third time. This time, there may be no way back.

Today, Chantal has brushed off the Rococo days by re-inventing herself as The Chocolate Detective, a burgeoning business through which she curates the finest chocolate from the best producers in the world, as well as connecting directly to cocoa growers and makers at origin. 

In a timely Easter exclusive interview with The Citizen, Chantal, now 66, looks back on the care-free, glory days of the King’s Road shop and how she pioneered a whole new industry from one small shop and a bank loan underwritten by her mum…

Chantal Coady in the studio and work room at her home in Camberwell         ©Photo Rob McGibbon for The Chelsea Citizen

Chantal – 43 years and now Rococo is no more. How do you feel about it closing?

I am actually really sad to see it go. That little shop meant so much to me. It was part of my heart and soul. It was the first family I created, so it was incredibly important to me. It was also a lovely feature of the King’s Road, so it’s a great loss.

Ultimately, things did not work out so well for you with the company, so I’m surprised you feel sad about it…

Rococo was my dream and it brought so much good into my life. It is impossible not to feel something. Also, Chelsea played such a pivotal role in our success. I don’t think Rococo could have worked like it did anywhere else. Chelsea totally chimed with what I was trying to do. I tapped into the spirit of the area and all the stylish people who had been role models over the previous decades. I will always love the Chelsea vibe and what it brought to Rococo.

Rococo survived administration once before, but is this really the end now, has it gone forever?

Yes, I think it’s over now. The brand name could possibly be bought and re-branded, but the soul of what I created has gone. For me, it all changed in 2018 when an investor ripped out the bespoke interior. That was so upsetting. But I have moved on with my life now and I have been focused on a  new chocolate business for some time.

Yes – the Chocolate Detective! We will talk about that a bit later, but first can you take me back to the beginning of Rococo. How did it get going and what was Chelsea’s role in it all…

The beginning of my chocolate “journey” started with a Saturday job at Harrods when I was 19. I worked there for three years selling the best chocolate to rich people all day. Michael Caine was my first customer – he was buying a giant box of Milk Tray for his mum! 

I had a lightbulb moment one day in 1981 when I realised that customers wanted emotional engagement with chocolate. I then started creating my own ideas – designs that had stories and character, and a shop that was a theatrical backdrop. As time went by, I did a business course and set out my plans. Then my widowed mother backed me by putting the family home up for security with Barclays bank. She was really amazing and helped it all happen. Thankfully, Mum got the deeds back a few years later.

Chantal Coady on the opening day of Rococo on the King’s Road in 1983 ©Mark Ellidge

The vintage first day photo re-created 40 years later in 2023

Chantal in Rococo King’s Road in 2023 when she briefly returned as Creative Director

What are your earliest memories of setting up the business… 

I was 23 by then and had not long been out of art school. When I first visited the shop, it was trading as Crane Kalman, an art gallery that specialised in naive art. I was really taken by the space and the location, and particularly the high ceilings and original windows. I told the estate agent that I had a very serious business idea and that I was exploring multiple properties. In fact, it was the very first shop I seriously looked at. 

I remember sketching what the interior would look like with my art school friends, Frank Taylor and Kitty Arden. I had discovered someone in North London who made things out of sugar, so I commissioned her to make a chandelier as a centrepiece for the shop. Murals and trompe l’oeil were all the rage at that time, so Frank painted cherubs on the ceiling with blue sky and clouds inspired by the Birth of Venus, while Kitty helped create the scumble glazed candyfloss pink walls. 

Give us a flavour of life in Chelsea back in those early days, what was the atmosphere like, what did it mean to you

I loved Chelsea, it had the perfect mixture of bohemian chic and outright rebellion. It was still the backdrop to much of the punk fashion scene and people flocked to Sex – the fashion shop near World’s End owned by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McClaren. That’s where you went if you wanted inspiration for clothes and accessories. So many people came to that end of the King’s Road, just to hang out and watch the parade of spectacular, interesting people. It had a real vibe. Other independent fashion designers like Anthony Price and Timney Fowler had shops there, too.

When did you know that Rococo had hit on something and was taking off? 

There was a buzz about Rococo from the start. Locals loved us and the press wrote stories. The shop was a critical success from almost the minute it opened. There was an article in the Evening Standard, then The Sunday Times wrote some features. The commercial success was much slower and involved a lot of boot strapping for years. The celebrities that come to Chelsea soon found the shop and that certainly gave us an edge.

How giving us a taster of the glamorous clients with a sweet tooth…

Famous people came in all the time. I’m quite old-fashioned and I’d hate to name-drop – but…Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett,  Tilda Swinton, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet. Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones were regulars. Young Royals told me that when they gave the Queen Rococo chocolates and that she loved them. She would instantly lock them away in a special cupboard!

The biggest business breakthrough came when we started supplying British Airways with special mini bars. Then Virgin Atlantic wanted us, as did The Conran Shop and Harvey Nicols. These were exciting times and within 10 years, we had five shops. But it was also a complicated and exhausting business.

Back in the day, what were the Chelsea places that were special to you and which local people mattered?

I quickly developed close relationships with many customers and neighbours. The owners of Chelsea Rare Books Leo and Philippa Bernard and their beautiful spaniel Tess were my first customers. Stephen King had his fantastic boutique at the end of the row, Robot shoes were next door and Gregor Schumi the hairdresser was on the other side. Local writer and food historian Alan Davidson became a great friend. I have such happy memories of Chelsea and always love going back.  

Chantal and husband James, an acupuncturist and full time Chocolate Detective partner ©Rob McGibbon

Home now is…

We [husband James and their two children in their 20s] were in Vauxhall for 40 years, but moved to Camberwell two years ago and we really love it. It feels like coming full circle. I did my A-levels at a local school and my degree at Camberwell School of Arts. The area has changed a lot, but it is still full of small independent shops, restaurants and bakeries and lots of young families. It has a lovely community atmosphere.

I appreciate that you won’t want to dwell on the bad times, but what went wrong for you with Rococo?

It is an incredibly complicated and painful story. I had taken on an investor – I don’t ever like to say his name. I foolishly believed that he would take the business forward, leaving me to concentrate on the creative side. Instead, he quickly edged me out of important decisions. All my faithful, long-term team were gradually replaced and, within two years, I was effectively out of the business. Rococo had had been valued at £10m in 2016, but by June 2019 it went into administration in debt. Oddly, that same investor was then able to buy it back at a fraction of its value – and I got absolutely nothing for a lifetime’s work.

Oh my, that sounds a total nightmare…

It was harrowing and it took me to the brink, both emotionally and financially. Losing Rococo was like watching everything I loved being thrown off a cliff. We had to sell our home of over 40 years in order to pay off all the personal guarantees to the bank and other loans.

How did you manage to bounce back?

I am a positive person and I was determined not to be beaten. I had to dig very deep to find my inner strength, my family and friends were amazing with their support. During lockdown in 2020, I suddenly started making chocolate again at home and then a friend offered me a small commercial kitchen at the London Sketch Club in Chelsea. The stress of losing Rococo ebbed away and then I had the idea for the Chocolate Detective.

Returning to my core love was completely healing and quite magical. I feel that I am a better and stronger person as a result of all that happened. In a funny way, I don’t regret any of it. These days I find joy in the simple things in life.  

Rococo fan illustrator Quentin Blake designed the Chocolate Detective’s logo as a favour

Applause! Who and what is the Chocolate Detective?

I am the Detective! I have drawn on decades of experience to seek out the world’s finest chocolate makers and connect them to chocolate lovers. I part own an organic cocoa farm on the island of Grenada, so I really can trace right back to the source, as well as supporting a radical new chocolate business model. I have developed several recipes of my own and I curate a range of birds eggs, working with the hugely talented illustrator Madeline Floyd, as well ass old favourites, such as Provencal almonds and orange sticks. All the designs are fun, as well as delicious. It all very much chimes back to the creativity of Rococo. We also have a super new line for Easter that was featured in the Daily Telegraph recently, which is based on a character called the Country Bunny who delivers the eggs.

Easter bunnies from the Chocolate Detective

How has the Detective been doing?

It has been amazing. The artist Quentin Blake, who loved Rococo, created my logo as a favour and many of my old customers throughout the Rococo days have been coming back to me, which is deeply touching. I almost wept one day when we got a huge order from a loyal buyer from the Rococo years.

What are your plans for the business?

I want the Chocolate Detective to lead the way for best practice in the chocolate industry, so that the farmers who grow the cocoa benefit directly from their hard work. Plus, I want to help people to enjoy the world’s best chocolate. After-all, it’s one of life’s greatest pleasures.

Since we – that’s basically just James and me! – started, our revenue has effectively doubled every year and our products are now being sold in over 300 retailers across the UK and America. We aim to continue scaling the business through distribution partners, as well as direct to customers and B2B. We are most definitely not looking for investors! We are growing it organically, rather than taking loans, which was the undoing of Rococo. I’ve yet to hear a good story about venture capitalists, often men in suits with lots of spreadsheets, who just don’t understand what is at the heart of a business.

Would you like to wind back the clock fully and have a shop for the Chocolate Detective on the King’s Road?  Now, that would be, um, a sweet irony…  

Ha! Can you imagine it! Yes, that would be nice. Who knows – anything is possible. We do have stockists in Chelsea – like Designers Guild and Love My Human Townhouse. Retail can be nightmare, but it would be fun to go back to where it all started. Maybe we can begin with a pop up shop. If one of the big local landlords has an empty space that they need to brighten up…

Chantal Coady’s Chelsea Go-Tos 

My go-to for eating out – Mona Lisa or Anna Hough’s Myrtle if I am feeling flush  

My go-to for for drinks – The Surprise or Beaufort House 

My go-to for shopping – I still love to wander around Peter Jones 

My go-to for staying over – Are you serious, have you seen the prices of hotel? I will get the bus home, but I can dream about 31 Cadogan Gardens 

My go-to for a cultural fix – The Royal Court Theatre or the V&A

My secret tip for Chelsea – the Moravian  Burial Ground – a historic bit of land that was once a part of Thomas Moore’s property, and reputedly is where Christian the lion used to take his daily exercise in the 1960s – its not open very often – get there if you can!

My go-to event – Chelsea Physic Garden Christmas Fair 

Your dream home in Chelsea? There’s a particularly beautiful house in Swan Walk owned by a very well known man who made his fortune in private equity, not chocolate!

Visit the Chocolate Detective at www.chocolatedetective.co.uk

An exclusive Easter offer to Citizen readers – for anyone who fondly remembers the old Rococo shop, and for those discovering the Chocolate Detective for the first time – Chantal Coady is pleased to offer complimentary shipping on all orders over £40, until midnight on 31st March. Use Code: chelseacitizen

A family affair: Chantal and husband James with their daughter Millie at the Chocolate Detective stall at the Physic Garden Christmas Fair in 2023

Ms Jagger, a resident in the Royal Borough, has weighed in with an excoriating FOUR PAGE objection letter that was sent to RBKC council late on Tuesday. In it, she claims that the new AGC – Adult Gaming Centre – would turn the area into a “gambling hub’.

The objection centres around a licensing and a planning application submitted by Silvertime Amusements to move its existing shop at No.169 to bigger premises just three doors away at No.177-179.

Ms Jagger, 80, has stated in stark language that the venue will “exploit” children travelling through the area from nearby schools, “increase” crime and anti-social behaviour, and be a “nuisance” to the public. She is echoing grave concerns already expressed to The Citizen by campaigners and ward councillors.

One issue of acute concern is that Earl’s Court has “50%” of the borough’s “specialist supported accommodation”, which is used by people with “complex needs”, such as mental health problems and “a pre-disposition to addictions”.

Ms Jagger – the former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger – says that these people will be significantly at risk from having a far bigger and more visible gambling centre on Earl’s Court Road.

From the letter: ‘This is the wrong place for this business and contributing to the saturation of betting and AGCs within several meters of one another – I am aware that this would not be permitted in other main areas of the borough, why is this been contemplated to be permitted in Earl’s Court?’

Silvertime – a company that has been in the slots business for 40 years and prides itself on being “family owned and run” – wants to take over the space vacated by the Lloyd’s Bank. It has issued a lengthy statement to The Citizen, which we print in full below.

In one development that has further angered residents and ward councillors, Silvertime has applied for a 24/7 licence. Campaigners say that, if granted, this would lead to another casino nearby – Admiral – applying for a similar licence.

In Ms Jagger’s letter – printed under the letterhead ‘The Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation’ – she repeatedly blasts Silvertime’s proposal and the consultation process run by the council.

The right to object to Silvertime’s application closed yesterday – 24th March – but campaigners say that the entire process has been “flawed” because the council’s comments portal has been offline due to the cyber attack. Residents also say that the option to email comments has not been working effectively.

Ms Jagger also states that a “newspaper” advert that the council is legally obliged to publish alerting residents to application has NOT been readily available.

From the letter: ‘It is understood that the Licensing Department has complied with the Statutory Requirement under the Act but an ad in a newspaper that residents do not have access to and one A4 letterhead on a flank wall is perhaps not in the spirit of the law, particularly on what is known to a particularly sensitive location.’

A note from RBKC to residents as regards the consultation process

Councillor Linda Wade, who presents Earl’s Court ward, told The Citizen how Ms Jagger got involved in the campaign. She said:  “One of our residents was protesting about the casino on Earl’s Court Road and someone said that they knew Bianca and that they would tell her.

“As soon as she heard about it all, we spoke and she said that she wanted to help. Her letter is brilliant and gets to the heart of all the issues. We are very grateful to her for stepping. The casino is a very serious matter and simply must be stopped. It will turn this area into a gambling hub.”

In recent times, Ms Jagger’s ex-husband Mick, who has a home in Chelsea, has been a vocal supporter of The Citizen’s high profile campaign to stop a 29-storey tower of luxury flats being built by Battersea Bridge.

Cllr Wade added: “As a councillor – as well as one who sits in the Licensing Committee – I am very concerned about the consultation process. It has been a shambles and flawed. It seems to be weighted in favour of businesses, rather than residents.

“I am also concerned that the council is fearful of rejecting applications made by these gaming companies because they are worried about legal fees if they appeal. But the council must not make this an excuse. They must stand up to these companies – as a matter or urgency.”

The Citizen has approached RBKC for comment. The full response from Silvertime is below.

The Citizen has also today requested to interview the owners of Silvertime to discuss the issues outlined by campaigners.

Bianca Jagger’s Objection Letter

From “family owned and run” Silvertime’s website

Silvertime’s statement in full

On the eve of the public inquiry, the two stars who have lived in Chelsea since the 1960s, voiced their vehement opposition to the tower. The Sunday Times yesterday previewed the comments that were given exclusively to The Chelses Citizen.

SIR MICK JAGGER 

Sir Mick Jagger, who first moved to Chelsea in the early 1960s with Keith Richards and Brian Jones and still has a house in the area, said: 

“Such a huge building project of another high tower in Battersea & Chelsea makes no sense and is totally wrong on every level.

“I have lived in this area for a long time and I care what happens to it. If this goes ahead it could lead to more tall buildings being built in the area and changing this wonderful stretch of the Thames riverside forever.”

Felicity Kendal

FELICITY KENDAL 

Actress Felicity Kendal, who has also lived inChelsea since the late 1960s, said: “This tower is utterly monstrous and will wreck this part of Battersea riverside. It is a total eyesore and completely out of keeping with this area. It simply must not be allowed. If they allow this, it will mark the beginning of the end of Battersea riverside as we know – and love – it.  It will open up a free for all for other developers to build towers along the river. Before long it will become another Vauxhall.   

“These developers don’t give a damn what anyone thinks. They are just in it for the money. If the Inspector goes against the will of everyone – the people and the council – and allows this tower it will be a travesty. It will be a defeat for democracy and basic common sense.”

BEN COLEMAN MP

Ben Coleman MP has also issued statement to TCC demanding that the planning inspector rejects the appeal.

“The development would result in an unattractive tall tower on a sensitive part of the riverfront which would significantly harm the vistas of local residents, including those in Chelsea.

“I’m aware that my concerns are shared by colleagues in Wandsworth. The proposal is in contravention of Wandsworth Council’s Local Plan, being in an area where tall buildings are not supported and exceeding the height of developments granted on a riverside site. I hope that the inspector confirms Wandsworth Council’s origins decision to reject the proposals.

“I would also expect a development of this size to show more ambition for genuinely affordable housing. London does not need more homes for overseas investors as opposed to local people.”

Yesterday’s story in The Sunday Times

Councillor Tony Belton, chairman of the Planning Applications committee, also hit out at Rockwell Property for making the council spend more than half a million pounds defending its own unanimous decision to reject the 29-storey block of luxury flats on a historic stretch of river bank.

In an exclusive and wide-ranging interview with The Chelsea Citizen, Cllr Belton – who has more than 50 years of experience in local government – was also damning of Rockwell’s offer of affordable housing as the reason for allowing the development. Mr Belton, 84, dismissed it as the wrong type of accommodation and a ‘drop in the ocean’ in relation to the council’s needs. 

‘They have been very arrogant towards local people and incredibly arrogant to the residents living in the block [Thameswalk] that shares the party wall. They have not connected with them at all.    

‘The attitude of the developers is very interesting. They have always assumed that they were getting their plans through, regardless of what local people think. And local opinion has been unanimously against. That’s arrogance,’ he added. 

Councillor Tony Belton at home in Battersea                                ©Photo by Rob McGibbon for The Chelsea Citizen

 
Cllr Belton has been dismayed by the approach taken by Rockwell, the company owned by Monaco-based property tycoon, Donal Mulryan. The development proposals were thrown out by Wandsworth Council in April 2025. Conservative councillors even set aside their long-held differences with Labour to unite against the proposal.  

Cllr Belton added: ‘In all my years at the council, the Tories have opposed every single planning application that Labour has supported. On this occasion, however, they sided with Labour to reject the tower. So – Rockwell has at least succeeded in uniting the council!’

London Mayor, Sir Sadiq Khan also refused to overturn the decision, but Rockwell appealed to the Government, leaving the council no choice but to defend its decisions. An eight day public inquiry will open at Wandsworth town hall tomorrow morning. (17th March)

‘It is outrageous Rockwell do not recognise we could get charged for the costs of this appeal. Rockwell should be made to pay the costs of this crazy exercise.’

Fees for legal representation, including an expensive King’s Counsel, are believed to be in excess of £500,000, which – according to Cllr Belton – represents around one percent of the local authority’s council tax revenue. 

Belton explained that cash-strapped councils face difficult decisions every day and that the money being used for the public inquiry could be better used ‘for transport, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) kids, support for the elderly, or education’.

Mr Belton also explained how Rockwell’s 50 affordable housing units within its proposal would all be high up in a tower, which is impractical for families with young children.

‘As anywhere in London we have a pretty desperate housing need. There are 3,000 people on the housing waiting list in Wandsworth, so what Rockwell is proposing is a drop in the ocean.

‘Affordable housing at height is not a good option. Affordable housing by its very nature is inclined to house families with children that are not terribly well. Children in high rise buildings has never been a great idea. Mums and dads like to have their eye on their kids, especially when they are out at play, not 15 storeys up.’

Cllr Belton says that he believes the scale of the development is being driven by Rockwell paying too much for the Glassmill site. He also issued a warning about the future of Battersea Riverside if the appeal is successful, citing the stretch of river front, from Battersea Power Station to Cremorne railway bridge as being largely untouched by high rise. 

‘This will be destroyed,’ said Cllr Belton. ‘It changes the outlook from Chelsea, looking south, which should be protected.

“Rockwell clearly paid far too much for the site in the first place. I don’t know how much they spent, but they obviously need a very large development to justify their original expenditure. I don’t see why the community and Wandsworth should pay for their mistake.” 

Furthermore, Cllr Belton also expressed concern around the open-ended closure of Albert Bridge and the near-permanent existing road works in Battersea streets surrounding the Glassmill site. He believes any new construction work would bring the entire area to a standstill. 

‘Whilst Albert Bridge is closed, Battersea Bridge could not take the strain,’ said Cllr Belton.

‘Rockwell have made an enormous mistake. It would be better for everyone, if they gave up and accepted the whole community is against it. We do not want a building like this on our riverfront’. 

Rockwell Property issued this new image for its One Battersea Bridge proposal ©Rockwell