Sadiq Khan uses planning powers to block City of London鈥檚 backing for tourist tower
Foster + Partners鈥� hugely controversial Tulip tourist tower has been denied planning consent by Sadiq Khan 鈥� effectively blocking the permission-in-principle given to the proposals by the City of London three months ago.
Members of the City鈥檚 planning and transportation committee voted by more than two-to-one in favour of the 305m-tall scheme at a packed meeting in early April, despite strongly-worded concerns from Historic England and Tower of London manager Historic Royal Palaces.
But the Mayor of London has authority to overrule borough-level decisions on certain categories of major project and today (Monday) Khan did just that, directing the City to turn its resolution to approve into a refusal.
Khan said the proposal 鈥渨ould not constitute the high standard of design required for a tall building in this location鈥� and would cause harm to the 鈥渙utstanding universal value鈥� of the Tower of London World Heritage Site鈥�.
Khan鈥檚 letter to the City鈥檚 chief planning officer Annie Hampson said the building would also harm the historic environment beyond the Tower and 鈥渢he wider skyline and the image of London鈥�.
The Tulip project team, put together for site owner Jacob J Safra 鈥� who also owns the Foster-designed Gherkin 鈥� made much of the economic impact of the proposals.
But Khan concluded that the public benefits of the scheme were 鈥渓imited鈥� and would not outweigh the harm to the capital he was advised the Tulip would cause.
He added: 鈥淭he proposals would result in a poor quality, unwelcoming, unnecessarily confined pedestrian environment and would provide inadequate cycle parking.鈥�
A mayoral spokesperson said Khan had detailed 鈥渁 number of serious concerns鈥� with the proposals and believed the scheme would result in very limited public benefit.
Safra鈥檚 development team can still appeal Khan鈥檚 direction to the City to refuse planning permission to the Tulip.
The wider team includes Skanska as construction consultant and Alinea as QS.
A statement issued on behalf of the Tulip project team said it was 鈥渄isappointed鈥� with Khan鈥檚 decision.
鈥淭he Tulip will generate immediate and longer-term socio-economic benefits to London and the UK as a whole,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淲e will now take time to consider potential next steps for The Tulip Project.鈥�
In March, outgoing planning and transportation committee chair Chris Hayward told 好色先生TV that he believed any decision the City made on the tower would go on to a planning inquiry, which would be overseen by a planning inspector. That inquiry could now be sparked if the development team appeals Khan鈥檚 decision.
The City of London meeting that backed the Tulip was Hayward鈥檚 last as committee chair. He told colleagues that approving the Tulip was 鈥渁 once in a lifetime opportunity鈥� and they obliged by 18 votes to seven.
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