I understand that there are proposals to develop next to the Bell Green gasholders.

See this link for the Health & Safety Executive's view on the dangers of building next to the gasholders at the Oval Cricket Ground:

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/record/times201107.htm

I think the Bell Green Development is going ahead or at least parts of it. See the Sydenham Forum here http://www.sydenham.org.uk/bell_green_planning_02.html

So HSE might advise that the adjacent gasholders are a risk.

Planning authorities must deliberate on the suitability of applications near major hazard sites, including gasholders and particularly if it seems that proposed buildings will reduce the rapidity of dispersal of major gas volumes when leaks occur.

It might be the case that any explosion might result in instant relocation of Savacentre, possibly as far as the other end of Southend Lane.

This would instantly resolve the traffic problems caused by the major cock up that LB Lewisham has historically made of the traffic planning that failed to be addressed in the first round of planning consent.

Too be honest an explosion wouldn't be a bad idea.
It would take out out half of Bell Green and wipe out the lower
end of Perry Vale, not a bad thing.

Seriously thou'
Not sure about this report, after all, isn't there a phone mast fixed to the gasholders ?? I'm sure there is.
If so, radio waves/rf/electro energy etc would have ignited it by now.

I think the gasholder/gasometer is a listed building now.
There are not so many left in the country, as they are high maintenance and a relic from the days when gas was produced and stored locally.
Its only function now is to even out the pressure as demand changes during the day, as I understand it, perhaps giving the underground high pressure gas pipes a longer lifespan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/264609.stm

Can these things explode? History tells us yes, and as the country's expertise on these things diminishes, I imagine that any maintenance gets more dangerous.

Sure, almost certainly it is more dangerous regularly crossing the road (esp at the Davidwhiting crossing maze at Kangley Bridge Road) than living near to one of these things but it is an unnecessary risk all the same.

It should be (carefully) decommissioned imo, and the interior turned into a museum with lots of history of the site and working demonstration of the old process of making coal gas, and sure miniature demonstrations of the explosive nature of gas.

Then we can build the shopping scheme of our dreams unhindered...

I don't believe these particular gasholders have been listed. None of the plans throughout this planning consent phase has ever proposed their removal.

I think that British Gas/Transco or whoever their successors are, still owns them.

There are Grade II listings associated with the War Memorial and the Livesey Hall adjacent to the site.

This is from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE):

"There are, on average, three or four large gas escapes every year from gasholders, which could lead to a major incident if the gas found an ignition source. The main reason such an incident has not occurred for 70 years (though there have been fires) is because the gas has dispersed safely into the large, clear areas surrounding the holders. Development close to such sites (particularly of an intensive, multi-storey, nature) potentially increases both the number of ignition sources and of those people who could subsequently be affected by any incident. Recent incidents at other major hazard sites have shown that, although such events are rare, they should not be ignored when considering what developments to allow."

The gas holder issue was raised with respect to the development of the Oval ground - the new buildings will remove the space needed to prevent an explosion.

Yuppee flats all round, hurrah!