Housing association flats are made to a different and lesser standard to private flats and are much smaller, however they are cheaper to rent at about £265 a week, however this is very high compared to other housing association properties around London. Having visited a few apartments I’ve noticed they are are often awkwardly shaped with no thought to where television or sofas are going to be placed, however saying that the facilities provided are good, balcony decking, doors and windows, and blinds, ample kitchen cupboard space, underfloor heating, lino instead of carpet which is easier to clean than carpet heated towel rail, bathroom mirror and small utility cupboard to fit in a washer dryer . Of course, fittings such as oven fridge breakfast bar and full height style tiles were not included and bathrooms are decked in plain white tile. There has also been issues of flooding behind the walls in several properties and the apartments get very hot during the summer due to the triple glazing, however the heating rarely gets put on during the winter saving money.
Residents are generally good but sometimes litter has been left in the lift and as HA tenants can’t use concierge facilities parcels are often left in the communal entry area. Sometimes people taking bins out has resulted in smelly liquid being left in the lift and trailing out the door however this is not often. Community is good unlike comments made by private tenants above most residents have got to know each other especially those with children attending st mary’s school downstairs. Balconies also have windows on them which is a good safety feature for those with children and all windows in apartments are lockable. Paragon housing association which manages the flats are hit and miss but often good and problems can also be reported to savills as they still manage the block
A colorful light tribute to the tram lines which once adorned the grounds has been installed in the arch going out onto Queenstown road. Bike store is good.
Children’s play areas are minimal however, a strange raised grass v verge and the area outside of it is touted as a play space however it is also an unofficial road and takeaway motorbikes zoom up and down the development all times of the day and night delivering food which is dangerous. The communal gardens aren’t maintained well when a tree was felled due to strong wings it wasn’t replaced and the space where it once was looks sparce in its absence. Some grasses flowers and bushes would look beautiful but instead there is just plain soil with a scattering of plant life.
The design outside mercer house also turns it into a wind tunnel even in light winds and this should have been taken into account during the design stage, the small trees planted suffer greatly during the winds, it would have been better to plant bigger trees with more bush as aesthetically they look better and can stand the wind more. The other trees on site seem to be a bit bare, and have not taken to their new homes.
Please tell us what you like and dislike about this area:
Im not sure why this development is being compared to other nearby developments. The housing association properties are certainly to a better standard than the properties at embassy gardens, and unlike Riverlight Quay or Embassy Gardens the private properties at Battersea Exchange are cheaper, offer better views, (there are no tall blocks on site affecting views unlike embassy gardens) and are right next to Battersea park and Queenstown road stations, at the other two sites you will need a bus to access the rail stations or face a long walk. Presently I can walk out of my apartment and find myself in Victoria in less than 10 minutes, perfect for commuting. Battersea park is 2 mins around the corner perfect for picnics and days out, and Sloane square and clapham junction are literally minutes away by bus and train. A sainsburys local is due to open on site soon but best of all my daughter literally steps out of our apartment and straight into St Mary’s school, which is part of the development and recently opened up a beautiful advent community event linking major nine elms sites and offered free festivities.
There is a largish tesco nearby and a large waitrose 10-15 minute walk away. There is also a very large sainsburys in nine elms which is not far away from the abs of course the wonderful circus west village based at Battersea power station, with a host of restaurants shops and always has events on such as Christmas markets festivals and other activities, not to mention a pier served by thames clippers.
The complex itself is tastefully done with careful restoration work to railway arches whilst keeping their original character. The only unfortunate thing is if you live higher up you can see graffiti on the railway which has nothing to do with the development but is an eyesore nonetheless as are the imposing 1960s square blocks of the Doddington Estate.
You may also find a wonderful array of great eateries and restaurants on the Battersea park road, such as captain Correllis a shabby but extremely authentic Italian restaurant and Cafe, boqueria {Spanish tapas), San Gennaro pizzeria, or highly rated takeaways such as Pho Ta Vietnamese, independent coffee shops serving great food, a pizza place and a fish and chip shop for and a fantastically refurbished gastro pub basically on site, (The Mason’s Arms)
Noise from the railways are non existent with the doors closed and you can hardly hear them with the doors open as the lines are so close to the station the trains are slowed right down. Noise from the football pitches are minimal and there is free parking located 3 minutes walk away on stewarts road or all day after 12pm opposite the dogs home.
Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:
Nothing as I’ve always known the local area since a child
