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A planning decision on Stanhope鈥檚 proposals for the tallest building in the City of London has been pushed back with the scheme鈥檚 centrepiece viewing platform likened by some Square Mile councillors to a 鈥減lastic spoon鈥�.

Councillors voted yesterday to defer a decision on the 74-storey 1 Undershaft tower until a series of 鈥渕inor鈥� design changes were made to the plans by lead architect Eric Parry.

The planning application for the scheme, which would be the joint tallest building in the UK with the Shard at 309m in height, had been recommended for approval ahead of yesterday鈥檚 meeting despite a series of strident objections from several statutory consultees.

But members of the project team were repeatedly questioned during a marathon three-and-a-half-hour meeting about the impact of the proposals on St Helen鈥檚 Square, an area of public realm at the heart of the City鈥檚 eastern tower cluster.

Concerns focused on a proposed public garden which would be built 42m above the square on a cantilevered platform likened by one councillor to a 鈥減lastic spoon鈥�.

Under the proposals, a large part of the current square would be built over as part of the footprint of the tower and most of the rest of the area would be overshadowed by the 11th floor public garden, a curved structure designed in a markedly different style to the rest of the proposed tower.

Committee member William Upton KC said those present at the meeting had been 鈥渧ery polite鈥� about the public garden and described the feature as an 鈥渆lephant in the room鈥�.

鈥淚t has no relation to anything and I鈥檇 like to know where its inspiration comes from,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t looks like one of those plastic spoons we used to get in cheap station cafes that you sort of swirl your coffee with. 

鈥淲hat is it meant to relate to? What is it meant to inspire? Because we鈥檙e meant to look for exemplar design and I don鈥檛 know what it鈥檚 meant to be an example of.鈥�

Eric Parry, founder of Eric Parry Architects, said in response that the public garden was intended as an 鈥渙rganic鈥� design to contrast with the 鈥渉ardness鈥� of the site鈥檚 surrounding buildings, which include RSHP鈥檚 neighbouring Cheesegrater tower.

鈥淭he space of the garden is organic. You don鈥檛 have sharp corners on the garden. It鈥檚 a perambulation that allows you to continuously move for 330m with views to St Pauls, to the amazing buildings at this privileged level, and the element of cantilever is like a loggia, a covering, and I see that as very positive,鈥� he said.

Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chairman of Lloyd鈥檚, which is based in the neighbouring grade I-listed Lloyd鈥檚 building, also tabled an objection to the plans due to the loss of public space at St Helen鈥檚 Square.

In a latter sent to the City on Monday, Carnegie Brown said the scheme would 鈥渞ob鈥� the Square Mile of a 鈥渞eally important convening space鈥�, adding that this was not addressed by the 鈥渃ompensatory offer鈥� of the 11th floor public garden.

> Also read: 1 Undershaft tower set to be approved next week despite continued opposition from consultees

Historic England had singled out the public garden in its objection to the proposals, criticising the impact of the feature on several nearby heritage assets including two grade I-listed churches.

The government heritage advisor, a statutory consultee, upheld its objection despite a series of amendments to the plans earlier this year which softened the colour of both the white tiles which would cover the garden platform and the colour of the building鈥檚 podium.

The planning application is now expected to undergo further amendments and return to the committee in the near future following the vote by councillors to defer a decision.

The project team said in a statement following the vote: 鈥淲e have listened carefully to the comments made regarding the public space at ground floor which were raised at the Planning Applications Sub-Committee today. 

鈥淲e will be working closely with the City of London Corporation and our neighbours in the insurance industry to consider these through minor revisions to the scheme.

鈥淲e look forward to returning to the Sub-Committee as soon as possible.鈥�

Committee chairman Shravan Joshi sought to reassure developers that the deferral was not a vote against development in the City in principle.

鈥淭his is not a message to industry that we are against development, or that we do not need to densify the eastern cluster,鈥� he said.

鈥淲e will bring the proposals back to the Planning Applications Sub-Committee for a final decision as soon as possible.鈥�

If the amended plans are approved by the City, they will then head to the Greater London Authority for further assessment and finally to the next secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities for final sign off. Incumbent Michael Gove is not standing in tomorrow鈥檚 election.

Parry鈥檚 planning application, submitted late last year, is itself a redesign of an already consented tower on the site designed by the same practice which has been deemed by Stanhope as unfit for modern office occupiers.

Stanhope is development manager on the new proposals and Aroland is the developer.