Plans for a 74-floor skyscraper which would tower over the City of London and rival The Shard have been thrown into doubt amid complaints the building would block sunlight and lead to a loss of public space.
Proposals for 1 Undershaft, nicknamed the Trellis, and would sit at a height of 309.6 metres, were lodged last year. If built, it would become one of the tallest buildings in Western Europe.
But this afternoon, council bosses did not give the green light for the plans over concerns open space where workers gather to eat their lunch would be lost in the City of London.
Councillors on the City of London Corporation’s planning sub-committee voted by nine votes to six to defer a decision on the scheme.
Eric Parry Architects, who have designed the plans for Singapore firm Aroland Holdings, say the skyscraper will have the highest occupied floor height in the UK, providing nearly 2m sq. ft of space. At the top of the towering structure will be a free public viewing gallery and an education centre that will host school trips.
The tower will also feature an 11-storey podium while the top two floors will be fully glazed.
Plans for 1 Undershaft, which will sit at a height of 309.6 meters above the City of London, were unveiled earlier this year
The plans, Eric Parry say, would have the highest occupied floor height in the UK
The architects said the design of the scheme aims to provide an ‘efficient, refined and timeless’ building
Objectors expressed concern over the loss of public space from St Helen’s Square and a possible loss of sunlight from an overhanging garden, proposed as part of the scheme.
Referring to the Square, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, chairman of insurance giant Lloyds of London, wrote to the City of London Corporation on Monday and warned the City was being ‘robbed of a really important convening space’.
In the letter, seen by MailOnline, he adds: ‘The City of London has a commendable record for opening up additional space at street level wherever new development plans are approved.’
Justin Black, head of development at CC Land, the lead investor in the neighbouring Cheesegrater building, also said: ‘We believe these plans to be flawed, resulting in unnecessary harm to the public realm townscape and the setting of heritage assets.’
Historic England also objected to the plans in February over concerns the design would spoil the heritage of the City of London.
Lodging an objection in February, they said: ‘We consider that permitting this scheme would be a serious[ly] missed opportunity to achieve an exemplar building at the apex of the cluster, respecting the rich history of the City of London and maintaining or enhancing the public spaces from where most people experience it.’
The plans, Eric Parry say, follow ‘a re-evaluation and response to the post-pandemic needs, revised market demands, and the changing context and aspirations of the City of London’.
The architects said the design of the scheme aims to provide an ‘efficient, refined and timeless’ building which is of ‘exceptional quality when seen from anywhere within London, at close quarters, in glimpsed views, and in the grander set piece of London’s skyline’.
The new London skyscraper would rival The Shard at a height of 309.6 meters and become one the tallest buildings in Western Europe
Construction of the tower is expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2030
It will join other famous landmarks in the area, sitting between the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater buildings
The new skyscraper will join other famous landmarks in the area, sitting between the Gherkin and the Cheesegrater buildings, and will stand out as the tallest in the City’s financial sector.
Construction of the tower is expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2030, according to technical documents submitted with the application.
More than 170,000 tons of concrete, 12,200 tons of steel, 2,000 tons of glass and 2,600 tons of plasterboard will be used to build the skyscraper.
The new site is around 5m taller than Eric Parry’s earlier vision for the site which was approved in 2016 but was deemed as not sustainable enough to attract occupiers.
Before 1 Undershaft can be built, the 28-storey Aviva Tower, which was built in the 1960s, would need to be demolished.
The current plans were submitted to the City of London corporation in January and were further amended in February.
It comes after the surprise rejection of The Tulip in 2021, a ‘phallic-shaped’ observation tower.
The proposed development, dubbed The Tulip, would have been the second tallest building in western Europe after the Shard, also in London, standing 305.3 metres high
The proposed development would have been the second tallest building in western Europe, standing at 305.3 metres high.
Concerns were raised that the building, featuring a viewing platform with rotating pods and a sky bar, would overshadow the Tower of London, a World Heritage Site.
Speaking in 2021, Chief executive of Historic England, Duncan Wilson, said: ‘We have always opposed the proposal, mainly due to the impact it would have on the Tower of London, and so are pleased with this decision.
‘We have long been of the opinion that the Tulip would be visually intrusive and highly incongruous from key viewpoints of the Tower, detracting from the experience of visiting the site for millions of tourists and Londoners.
‘It is also our view that it would harm the extraordinary significance of the Tower of London as a World Heritage Site, and therefore the proposals ran contrary to local and national planning policies.
‘We welcome this outcome, which will help to protect one of the world’s great historic monuments that has provided a stage for our shared history for over 900 years.’
Developers are now expected to have to come back with a plan containing structural adjustments to the building to ensure it occupies less of the Square.
A spokesperson for 1 Undershaft told MailOnline: ‘We have listened carefully to the comments made regarding the public space at ground floor which were raised at the Planning Applications Sub-Committee today.
‘We 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.
‘We look forward to returning to the Sub-Committee as soon as possible.’
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