Battersea Power Station’s listing has been upgraded from grade II to a grade II*. The Times

The art deco behemoth on the banks of the River Thames in south-west London was part of the first generation of coal-fired electricity-generating facilities set up as part of the National Grid.

The exterior was refashioned by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1929.

Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage, said: ‘Battersea Power Station is one of London’s most loved buildings and this much-deserved upgrading can only put extra emphasis on the importance of the regeneration process and help to speed it along.’