Historic England warns of ‘severe harm’ from City of London local plan

The Corporation’s 2040 City Plan, which includes a target for a minimum of 1.2 million m² of new office floorspace within two tall building zones by 2040, was submitted to the planning inspectorate last week.

Using a 3D mapping model, the authority wants to designate specific plots in the City Cluster and Fleet Valley areas as sites where tall buildings should be built.

Other measures in the strategy include adopting a retrofit first policy requiring all major proposals to demonstrate that retrofitting has been considered as an option.

A response to the consultation from Historic England said the plan would cause severe harm to the significance of St Paul’s Cathedral, the Outstanding Universal Value of the Tower of London and to the significance of many other buildings, as well as the City’s historic character.

The heritage body said there was a ‘very serious inherent conflict and incompatibility’ between the draft plan’s general aspirations for the historic environment and its intention to deliver 1.2 million square metres of new office floorspace.

It said that, if such a volume is needed, developing at alternative locations across London’s Central Activities Zone – which stretches from King’s Cross to Nine Elms and Kensington Gardens to Aldgate – should be explored.

The submission, which was made to the Corporation in May but has only just been publicly released, added that it is unclear whether the City’s stated aim for 1.2 million m² of office space includes any already under development, and how much of the total it envisages delivering through retrofit or refurbishment.

‘Our concern is such that we believe that policies relating to tall buildings and the City Cluster in the draft Plan represent a real threat to the World Heritage Site status of the Tower of London,’ the submission said.

UNESCO has recently requested a report from Historic England about the site due to the number of tall building notifications in the City, it added. Historic England has notified UNESCO about the draft City Plan and requested a technical review from the UN institution.

In its plan, the City of London said development in the ‘defined immediate setting’ of the Grade I-listed Bevis Marks Synagogue and The Monument, both within the City Cluster, ‘should preserve, and where possible, enhance the elements of setting that contribute to the significance of these heritage assets’.

Historic England criticised the City for only considering the immediate surroundings and said the tall buildings target puts the synagogue at risk. Stiff + Trevillion is currently proposing a 43-storey skyscraper next to the building at 31-34 Bury Street, which has sparked fierce opposition.

In a statement, Shravan Joshi, chairman of the City’s planning and transportation committee, said the Plan incorporates both growth and conservation.

He said: ‘Recognising the exceptional significance of the World Heritage Site and the cathedral, the plan takes a bespoke and exhaustive approach to tall buildings and heritage. The policies in the plan will ensure development protects and celebrates all our heritage assets while continuing to support the economic growth of the capital.

‘The Square Mile is both the historic heart of the capital and a world-leading business district. City Plan 2040 is underpinned by a robust evidence base that shows how demand for quality office space in the Square Mile is expected to rise, with City workers and businesses being enticed back to the City and the vibrant and dynamic working environment the Square Mile provides.’