- The City of London is the world’s leading international financial centre and it is a reflection of its success that demand for office space is at a high level and that its vacancy rates are the lowest ever recorded.
- Adequate critical mass is a key to the City’s success and it must be able to provide more space if it is to compete with rival centres in other countries which are seeking to usurp London’s position.
- The City has always valued its unique heritage and has been a strident advocate of top quality architecture. As planning authority, it has balanced the preservation of the best of its past with the need to provide a constant supply of top quality office accommodation which matches the needs and aspirations of the international businesses which seek to operate here and, as a result, produce immense benefits for the UK economy.
- Experience shows only too clearly that it is impossible to meet these demands solely by the continued construction of high density low rise buildings.
- The Corporation does not support a plethora of tall buildings. It accepts that they must be located sensitively and have regard to transport, economic and environmental factors.
- It is for this reason that the Corporation encourages tall buildings to locate in the eastern part of the City - an area which does not impinge on protected views where a cluster of tall buildings can be consolidated in a way which we believe will enhance, not damage the London skyline.
- It is a fact that businesses benefit form co-location in high density clusters which maximise the use of existing infrastructure. In short, progress through change is the key to continued success.
- Following the awful events in New York in 2001, it is vital to review detailed design and other specifications for any proposed tall buildings as well as security and evacuation procedures. However it must be remembered that there are no proposals for buildings above 50 storeys in the City of London.
- The Corporation of London is delighted at the outcome of the public inquiry into the Heron Tower development. The inquiry was called over the plans to build the 222m tall Heron Tower at Bishopsgate, which the Corporation had approved as part of the vital maintenance of the City’s position as the world’s leading international financial centre. Objections were raised by, among others, English Heritage which felt that the building would damage views of St Paul’s Cathedral. In July 2002, the project was finally given the go-ahead by the Secretary of State, John Prescott. The report issued by the Secretary of State praised the design of the Heron Tower commenting that it “enhances the quality of its immediate location and wider setting”. The Heron Tower decision helps to secure London’s strong competitive position and is seen by the Corporation as an important case for planning in the future.
