See the new City of London 36-storey tower block by Walkie-Talkie with rooftop garden

The redevelopment, which will involve the demolition of the existing nine-storey structure at 60 Gracechurch Street, was given the green light by the City of London Corporation’s planning and transportation committee on Friday morning (December 6).

The owner of the site, Japanese construction company Obayeshi Properties, in partnership with developer Sellar, had proposed constructing a tower providing more than 37,000 square metres of Grade A office space alongside retail and café use.

There will also be a public garden on level 35 with space for free bookings for schools and community groups, while the ground floor will be opened up to improve the experience for pedestrians.

In planning documents, the applicants described their intention to deliver a ‘landmark for London’ which, as well as providing workspace, will contribute to the Corporation’s Destination City policy.

While there were just three public representations against the plans, a number of consultees raised concerns primarily relating to the size of the building.

Both Historic Royal Palaces and Historic England noted its expected impact on the Tower of London, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Historic Royal Palaces wrote: “This development is located within the City of London’s proposed southern extension of the City Cluster, appearing on the west side of the Cluster when viewed from the Tower of London. It remains our view that the continual encroachment of the City Cluster on the key views to and from the Tower have caused incremental harm to the OUV (Outstanding Universal Value) of the World Heritage Site. The extension of the Cluster to incorporate 20 Fenchurch St will exacerbate that harm.”

Historic England echoed these concerns, while also noting the potentially detrimental effect on the Monument and St Mary Woolnoth. Tower Hamlets Council similarly aired fears about the impact on the Tower.

Corporation officers however praised elements of the proposal, including its inclusion of ‘significant’ urban greening, and its target of achieving a BREEAM ‘outstanding’ rating, indicating a highly sustainable structure.

At this morning’s meeting, Deputy Natasha Lloyd-Owen queried the height of the building, which is above the limit stipulated in the Corporation’s emerging City Plan 2040, and the carbon emissions associated with the scheme.

“I have to say I’m very concerned by the cognitive dissonance of the place we’ve got to where an applicant can say a project which takes a good quality building from 1998, knocks it down, builds something much taller and is approximately three times the total carbon emissions is the most sustainable building that will be in the City. That is a place of real concern to me,” she said.

Corporation officers told the committee that due to the City Plan 2040 not being finalised and the application only just being taller than the limit proposed it was deemed acceptable.

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Deputy Lloyd-Owen further raised Historic England’s concerns on the heritage impact of the proposal alongside the objection from Tower Hamlets, saying it is not an application she believed the committee could accept.

Deputy Marianne Fredericks also spoke on several points of concern, including the implications for heritage assets and the extent of the public benefits the roof garden would deliver.

She said the City already has a lot of similar spaces across the City, something she added was raised by the planning inspector at the Tulip inquiry.

She said: “He asked to see how many viewings we now have consented in the City, and he concluded there were plenty to go around to the point that this is no more a unique offering.”

Common Councillor Graham Packham, one of several members to speak in support of the scheme, however praised the roof garden for delivering something ‘very different’ to other platforms in the City.

On the heritage impact, he said he cannot see how there is any harm to the Tower of London when looking from the South Bank. “How that can be impacting the view of the Tower of London just beats me,” Cllr Packham said.

Deputy Shravan Joshi, chair of the planning and transportation committee, also noted the rooftop terrace, telling members the proposal will deliver views to the west that are unique and that it is one of just two outdoor platforms in the Square Mile.

He said there is a genuine need for additional floorspace locally, referencing a 10 per cent increase in employment in the City in the last 12 months. On heritage, he said there has been ‘increasingly strong language’ from certain groups, and that the committee needs to maintain a balanced approach in how it assesses potential harm against economic growth.

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“At the end of the day, we have to make that call on whether there is heritage harm or not, and that’s quite a subjective thing as well, how you look at views, how you regard views,” he said. “My personal view is I can’t see how the Tower of London is actually impacted by this at all, but again that’s my opinion and I think we have to make sure as members we take that into account without getting into emotive and aggressive language that we’re seeing from some bodies within that sector.”

The proposal was agreed by members, with nine in favour and four against.

James Sellar, chief executive of Sellar, said following the meeting: “We have a shared commitment with Obayashi to develop a distinctively designed new landmark office building within the City’s Eastern cluster. We also have a clear aim for 60 Gracechurch Street to be one of the Square Mile’s most sustainable and wellness focused workplaces and today’s decision marks an important step in taking us closer to achieving those goals.

“There is an acute shortage of office space across London that is able to meet the exacting requirements of the modern occupier and we firmly believe that being able to satisfy that demand is an important component in London’s ability to attract leading businesses and ensure it maintains its status as a world-class city. We would like to thank the City of London Corporation for their support and we now look forward to working with them and other local stakeholders as we continue to bring forward this exciting project.”

60 Gracechurch Street is the latest major scheme approved along the Central London highway. A 33-storey tower is planned for 70 Gracechurch Street and a 32-storey block at 85 Gracechurch Street. Construction on 60 Gracechurch Street is expected to begin once the building is vacated in 2026.