St Paul’s and Tower of London ‘under threat from offices’ as public inquiry begins

Evidence for and against the City of London Corporation’s draft local plan is to be heard at a public inquiry due to kick off on Tuesday (March 25). The Corporation’s plan, referred to as City Plan 2040, will guide the development of the Square Mile for the next 15 years.

Covering everything from transport and development to the management of green spaces, the draft plan features an extensive list of strategic priorities and objectives including becoming a net zero city and adding more than a million square metres of office floorspace.

A previous draft, City Plan 2036, was proposed and consulted on in 2021 having been worked on since 2016. The Corporation however chose to not submit it to the Secretary of State for final approval due to a number of issues raised during consultation. The revised draft City Plan was submitted last August and is now to be examined by the Planning Inspectorate before it can be adopted.

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One element of the draft plan which has drawn particular attention is that of heritage and tall buildings. Historic England and St Paul’s Cathedral are among those to have raised concerns about the Corporation’s approach to conserving heritage assets, notably the cathedral and the Tower of London, and how this squares with its aim to deliver 1.2 million square metres of additional office floorspace by 2040.

In documents submitted in response to the first matter to be raised at the inquiry, legal requirements and overarching issues, Historic England wrote the Corporation’s drive for more office space ‘within the extent of the two tall building zones identified would lead to significant levels of harm to the historic environment’.

“Truly sustainable development should deliver net gains across all three of its elements [economic, social and environmental], rather than prioritising one above the others,” Historic England continued. “The balance within the CP (City Plan) between the economic, social and environmental objectives is such that it cannot deliver sustainable development.”

Responding to concerns ahead of the inquiry, a Corporation spokesperson said the 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”.

They added: “The City Plan sets out how we will deliver additional office floorspace up to 2040 at the same time as celebrating the City’s heritage. Recognising the exceptional significance of the World Heritage Site [Tower of London] 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, focussing development in those parts of the City that are less sensitive to growth, while continuing to support the economic growth of the capital. In the City, growth and conservation combine to define what is unique about the Square Mile, and this is ultimately at the heart of the plan.”

The inquiry will consist of a series of separate hearings expected to conclude in June. They are to be held at the Guildhall, though will also be aired on YouTube. The full list of dates, what is to be covered and the available YouTube links are included below.

The inquiry timetable

March 25, 10am to 5.30pm – Legal Requirements and Overarching Issues, Spatial Strategy, Housing. YouTube link:

March 26, 10am to 5.30pm – Housing and Offices. YouTube link:

March 27, 10am to 5.30pm – Retail, Culture and Visitors, Design. YouTube link:

April 29, 9am to 5.30pm – Healthy and Inclusive City, Safe and Secure City, Open Spaces and Green Infrastructure

April 30, 9am to 5.30pm – Climate Resilience and Flood Risk, Circular Economy and Waste

May 1, 9am to 5.30pm – Transport and Servicing, Active Travel and Healthy Streets, Infrastructure

June 10, 9am to 5pm – Heritage and Tall Buildings

June 11, 9am to 5pm – Heritage and Tall Buildings

June 12, 9am to 5pm – The Temple, the Thames Policy Area and the Key Areas of Change, Implementation, Monitoring

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