Nine Elms & Battersea Power Station Regeneration

The latest regeneration scheme – the iconic Battersea Power Station – opens its doors to the public in time for the Christmas season. 

In the 15 years living in London, we have seen many major regeneration schemes come to fruition. St. Pancras Station, London Bridge Station, Stratford, and Wembley, to name a few.  The latest redevelopment is the iconic Battersea Power Station on the River Thames. 

With Lady Yeya’s fifth birthday approaching, we had a lot of life admin to do, namely: renewing passports. The U.K. passport was a breeze, but to renew her US passport requires both parents to accompany her to the US Embassy in Nine Elms. Since our appointment was at 9:45am, we decided to visit the new Battersea Power Station afterwards.

Tips for Going to the US Embassy

If you are registering your child’s birth or renewing your child’s passport, here are some useful tips. Firstly, please visit the US Embassy for instructions on how to renew your child’s passport. 

• The US passport photo requirement is 51mmx51cm (2x2in) which is different from the UK passport photo (45mmx35mm). If you are getting passport photos, get the US size and trim the photo down if you can for the UK passports. 
• The booking system opens four weeks prior to the appointment date. In other words, if you are looking for 5th February, then the window will open for booking on 5th January. Appointments are usually between 7:45am – 10:45am. Note that the US Embassy observed all UK and US bank holidays. If you cannot find an appointment, check frequently as new slots become available. 
• Make sure you take a screenshot of your appointment confirmation as the US Embassy will NOT send you an email confirmation. You’ll need an appointment password to retrieve your booking should you wish to cancel your appointment or make amendments.
• For minors, both parents will need to accompany your child to the US Embassy to renew their passports. Otherwise a notarised letter is necessary from the non-attending parent. Bring snacks, water, toys and an iPad to keep the kids entertained. 
• Upon arrival at the US Embassy, go to the queue for “American Citizen Services.” You’ll need to go through standard “airport” style security. Security will ask to see your unlocked phone and take a sip from your water bottle if you take one. The reception desk will assign you a number and direct you to the second floor. 
• Expect to spend about 1.5 hours at the US Embassy for passport renewals and about 2.5 hours for registration of birth and first passport. Bring some refreshments, and there is a small cafe if you need to get coffee. 
• Once on the 2nd floor, the process is fairly orderly. Your number will be called several times in the following order for passport renewals: 1) submitting your passport application; 2) paying your passport fee of $135; 3) pledging and signing the application with the US diplomat as a witness; and finally 4) paying for a courier service. Then you’re free to go! If you’re registering the birth, there are few extra steps hence the additional hour. Overall, the process is painless if a bit long. 

The new Battersea Power Station

After spending the morning dealing with life admin, we walked 10 minutes to the Battersea Power Station. The £9bn redevelopment project will see 42 acres of land transformed into a new vibrant community. Developed over several phases, Circus West Village opened in 2017, and the new Battersea Power Station opened its door to the public in October 2022, nearly 40 years after it was decommissioned. The Grade II power station is now London’s latest shopping mall where the interior design is thoughtfully conceived, blending industrial chic with modern touches whilst preserving its historic features. 

To draw crowds ahead of the Christmas holiday, there is an elegant Jo Malone-sponsored ice skating rink called GLIDE and a lovely Christmas faire. It was all atmospheric, festive, and lively. Many of the shops and new restaurants are yet to open with some pedestrian walkways still under construction. Once done, I’m sure the whole area will be brimming with dog walkers, ladies who brunch, Apple employees, and local residents. 

Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza

Then it was time for lunch. There are so many eateries to cater for everyone including Bread Street Kitchen, Cinnamon Kitchen, Megan’s, and  Wrights Brothers to name a few. Since Lady Yeya was such a good sport at the US Embassy, we let her pick between Japanese ramen at Tonkatsu or Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza. And she picked pizza! 

Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza has a different business model of bottomless pizza for £16/adult and £8/child. Needless to say, the restaurant was brimming with young families, including a reunion of about 10-12 kids. After eating our weight in pepperoni pizza, we took the Uber Boat from Battersea Pier to London Bridge City. 

For architecture and masterplanning enthusiasts, definitely check out the new Battersea Power Station and marvel at London’s latest redevelopment project. If it wasn’t the winter solstice with the sun setting at 3:53pm, we would have loved to stroll around Battersea Park too. For another time when we visit the area.