Outgoing City of London planning officer seeks to allay fears his departure will lead rise in rejections of Square Mile schemes

Outgoing City of London planning officer Peter Rees has sought to allay fears his departure will lead to more development schemes in the Square Mile being rejected.

Rees 鈥 who during his 29-year tenure at City of London Corporation was defeated at planning committee on less than 1% of occasions 鈥 leaves next month to take up a professorship at architecture school The Bartlett.

The City鈥檚 development director Annie Hampson steps up to the role vacated by Rees.

Market sources told 好色先生TV they were concerned Rees鈥 departure could be linked to a perceived strengthening of the City of London鈥檚 planning committee, which has recently recruited a QC and a planning committee member from neighbouring authority the City of Westminster, with one developer saying the committee was 鈥渇lexing its muscles鈥.

But in an interview with 好色先生TV this week Rees said his departure was due to City 鈥渃utbacks鈥.

He acknowledged the City鈥檚 planning committee 鈥渕ay be stronger鈥 but said: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see why that should lead to more schemes being rejected.鈥

He said Hampson had been a 鈥渢our de force鈥 in running the City鈥檚 development department and 鈥渨ill be in a stronger position鈥 to answer questions at committee, having previously supervised the content of planning reports.

Rees admitted some 鈥渁wful鈥 buildings had been approved during his time at City, including an office tower block built by Barclays on Gracechurch Street he likened to 鈥渕ating robots鈥, and British Land鈥檚 Plantation Place development on Fenchurch Street, which he regards as 鈥済ross over-development鈥.

鈥淎 doctor can bury his mistakes, I can鈥檛,鈥 he said.

He named Broadgate, the Gherkin and the Royal Exchange buildings among his project highlights from his time at City


To read the full interview click .