During WW2, London’s energy supplies came under severe strain. Urgent steps were taken to increase the capital’s electricity supplies. Two contrasting options were proposed: one to replace the existing Bankside Power Station on the same site (the pragmatic option) or alternatively, to knock down Bankside Power Station, green-over the site and build a new power station down river in Deptford (The Abercrombie option). The political ‘battle’ raged until after the war ended, eventually seeing the pragmatists win the day with the intervention of Prime Minister Clement Atlee who insisted that the new power station should be oil and not coal-fired.