A former chief executive of Battersea Power Station Development Company has launched legal action against the owners of the London scheme following his dismissal in May last year.
The £9bn redevelopment has transformed Battersea Power Station into a 42-acre site with around 2,000 homes and dozens of businesses. Don O’Sullivan, previously at Galliard Homes, was appointed chief executive in June 2024 to oversee the next phase of the project but left the role less than a year later.
He alleges he was dismissed after raising concerns about financial reporting within the business, stating that he was removed from day-to-day duties after reporting the issues in November 2024. His claim says the concerns were discussed at a board meeting in London on 16 December involving both the development company and BPS Holdings. He further alleges he was excluded from the business the following day by executives named in his disclosures and was formally suspended on 24 December.
O’Sullivan has brought a whistleblowing claim against the group and four senior Malaysian executives at the London South Employment Tribunal, supported by John Hayes of Constantine Law and the GMB. The company is represented by Brown Rudnick.
The case is ongoing in the London South Employment Tribunal and has been listed for final hearing in 2029 with various case management deliverables well within that period.
John Hayes, managing partner of Constantine Law, said: “Don O’Sullivan’s claim will possibilly be one of London’s highest profile and most valuable whistleblowing claim because it involves one of London’s most respected developers taking on a case against an iconic London development, owned ultimately by the Malaysian state. “The case raises very important questions about the integrity of financial reporting at Battersea. It is regrettable that the delays in the Employment Tribunal system have resulted in the case being listed for hearing in 2029, but it is important that the case is now in the public domain. It will be extremely hard fought.”
A Battersea Power Station Development Company (BPSDC) spokesperson said: “We strongly deny and are robustly defending the unfounded allegations made by Mr O’Sullivan in the Employment Tribunal. There are no claims made by Mr O’Sullivan relating to Battersea Power Station Development Company’s (BPSDC) accounts. BPSDC manages the Battersea Power Station estate ultimately on behalf of Battersea Project Holding Company, the holding company of the 42-acre regeneration project. Battersea Project Holding Company appointed highly regarded forensic accountants to independently investigate historic claims. Whilst the two forensic accountants reports deal with confidential matters, the conclusion reached was that Mr O’Sullivan’s concerns were not borne out, no further investigation was warranted and accounting practices employed by Battersea Project Holding Company Limited adhere to international accounting standards. Its accounts have always been audited and signed off by PwC, one of the big four accounting firms. With the recent appointment of a master planner to shape the remaining 16 acres of the regeneration project, and with construction of two new Gehry-designed buildings set to commence in the coming months, Battersea Power Station is entering its next chapter and looking at how it can evolve the already thriving neighbourhood for the future needs of London and beyond. Adhering to the confidential nature of Employment Tribunal procedures, we cannot comment on this matter further at this time.”
Article updated on. March 31st at 8.30 pm
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